Original 1924 photo of Ban Johnson, founding president of the American League. He was nicknamed "The Czar of Baseball" and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937. He is renowned for banning the "Black Sox", eight members of the Chicago White Sox who conspired with gamblers to throw games. 5" x 7" photo is EX with very small chip upper left corner, black scuff mark left side border. Johnson is credited with declaring the upstart American League as a "Major League" in 1901 thus initiating head to head competition with the existing National League and the first "World Series" in 1903.