1904 World Series

John McGraw-Manager

"In 1904, there was no World Series between the champions of the two Major League Baseball leagues, the American League and the National League. These two champions were the Boston Americans (now Boston Red Sox), who had repeated their 1903 American League championship, and the National League's New York Giants (now San Francisco Giants). Owing to business rivalry between the two leagues, especially in New York, and to personal animosity between Giants' manager John McGraw and American League President Ban Johnson, the Giants declined to meet the champions of the 'junior' or 'minor' league. McGraw even said his Giants were already the world champions since they were the champions of the 'only real major league.'"
Wikipedia

"The 1904 World Series was a championship that didn't happen. But even though there was no champion crowned, 1904 was the key year in bringing about the annual Fall Classic. After the pennant winners of the American and National leagues had arranged to play in 1903 in a post-season championship, it seemed the two leagues had finally moved beyond the bitter rivalry that had defined baseball since the American League formed in 1901. But New York Giants owner John T. Brush announced during the 1904 season that if his team won the National League pennant, they would not play the American League champ. His manager, John McGraw, made it clear he thought the National League was the only major league. The New York Giants did end the season as the National League champions, winning 106 games and finishing 13 games ahead of the second place Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile, the defending world champ Boston Americans (later the Boston Red Sox) won their second consecutive American League pennant, fighting off the New York Highlanders (later the New York Yankees) by a game and a half. A series made in heaven."
Baseball Vault

1904 New York Giants

"The 1904 NY Giants won their 1st of 8 NL pennants under Manager John McGraw. They won a then NL record 106 games. They lead the league with a .262 average, 31 home runs, 744 runs scored and for good measure they stole a league leading 283 bases. They lead the league with a 2.17 team ERA, 21 shutouts and 707 strikeouts. And then they went home. Giants owner John Brush and manager John McGraw put their egos together and decided that the World Series would not take place. McGraw later claimed that this was all Brush’s doings, but McGraw was not a big fan of AL President Ban Johnson, and he was very vocal in his opinion that the AL was still a minor league organization. When the Giants had a double digit lead over the Cubs in late July, the crosstown rival NY Highlanders were also in 1st place in the AL. Neither Brush nor McGraw wanted to share the glory with another NY team, and also didn’t want to take any chance in losing to that team, so they announced that they would not be participating in any post season play. When the Americans edged out the Highlanders on the last weekend of the season, I would imagine that both Brush and McGraw regretted blowing off what could have been a pretty nice payday."
Baseball Revisited

New York Giants

1904 and the No-Series Giants postcard
"There was no 1904 World Series. Disputes on several levels led the National League champion New York Giants, pictured on this 1904 postcard, to decline to play the American League champion Boston Americans. The postcard shows (top row) Luther Taylor, Mike Donlin, Billy Gilbert, Bill Dahlen, Frank Bowerman (top row); (middle row) Hooks Wiltse, Jack Dunn, John McGraw, Dan McGann, Claude Elliot; (bottom row) Red Ames, George Browne, Roger Bresnahan, Joe McGinnity, Jack Warner, Sam Mertes. McGraw, Bresnahan, and McGinnity are in the Hall of Fame. Dunn was the first person to sign Babe Ruth to a professional contract in 1914 as skipper of the Baltimore Orioles."
A World Series Celebration