Ban Johnson, the founder and first president of the American League, intended for his new professional baseball organization to compete with the already-established National League. Fans took the upstart league seriously, as evidenced by the AL’s comparable attendance to the NL in 1901-02. In 1903 Johnson decided to collaborate with NL President Harry Pulliam, and the World Series was born. With the institution of interleague play in 1997, the leagues lost a good deal of their individuality. In 2000, Commissioner Bud Selig decided that league presidents were no longer necessary. Here is the complete list of AL presidents from 1901 to 1999:
1901-1927: Ban Johnson
1927-1931: Ernest S. Barnard
1931-1959: Will Harridge
1959-1973: Joe Cronin
1974-1984: Lee MacPhail
1984-1994: Robert Brown
1994-1999: Gene Budig