The Summer of Beer and Whiskey

The Summer of Beer and Whiskey (whose full title includes How Brewers, Barkeeps, Rowdies, Immigrants, and a Wild Pennant Fight Made Baseball America's Game) is the history of the 1883 St. Louis Browns. The team, which played in the old American Association, which was itself created by the Browns' German immigrant founder, Chris von der Ahe. Von der Ahe was a saloon keeper first and foremost and he founded the team - and insisted they play on Sundays - for one reason: to see more beer. The league that he then created for them to play in was derisively known as the Beer and Whiskey League, for upstanding citizens of the 1880s did not attend ball games on the Lord's Day - Sunday ball did not come to Philadelphia until 1934.

As for von der Ahe's team, well, with the possible exception of Arlie Latham and Charlie Comiskey (yes, the same Comiskey whose Chicago White Sox would create baseball's biggest scandal), the Browns were a ragtag group of men who won many a game by grit, determination and sometimes knavery, if not skill. They were also plenty happy to be imbibing great quantities of said liquor. Yet, in a story full of colorful characters, the one with the darkest story stands out most: Cap Anson who perhaps singlehandedly forced baseball into decades of segregation.

Edward Achorn does a fine job rendering the atmosphere of 1883 into text. He has painstakingly researched virtually every detail of the 1883 season - too thoroughly in some places. While the characters spring from the pages, reading a pitch-by-pitch retelling of a game that was played 130 years ago was simply too much. I loved the broad strokes by skimmed the minutiae. The final verdict? The Summer of Beer and Whiskey is probably best served to only the most ardent of baseball fans.