Bill Borst

I am a St. Louisan, a baseball fan and a history buff so what could be of more interest than “St. Louis Browns: The Story of a Beloved Team”? Not much. I am too young to have remembered the Browns and knew about George Sisler, but now I am a lot more familiar with Brownie lore.

This is a coffee table book full of pictures, stats and anecdotes of the fifty-two years the Browns played in St Louis. It can be read straight through or perused during the game, as did I.

The Browns had their high points like no hitters by Ernie Koob and Bob Groom on May 5-6, 1917 and the 1920 and 1921 seasons when George Sisler, Johnny Tobin and Baby Doll Jacobson each got over 200 hits. The Browns had a lot more downers, such as being the last of the original major league teams to win a pennant (1944).

Sports teams have an ebb and flow. Originally the Browns were the dominant team in St. Louis until the Cardinals won the 1926 World Series. I did not realize that the Browns probably would have moved to Los Angeles in 1942 but for Pearl Harbor or that Don Larsen started with the Browns and had not heard of Bill Veeck’s plan to run the Cardinals out of town. After reading of the Browns consistently dismal record I realize how fortunate we are that it was them that moved to Baltimore rather than the Cardinals.

For St. Louisans or baseball fans or this is a book to browse, read and enjoy.… (mais)