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A Game of Brawl: The Orioles, the Beaneaters, and the Battle for the 1897 Pennant
Not only was it probably the most cutthroat pennant race in baseball history, it was also a struggle to define how baseball would be played. A Game of Brawl re-creates the rowdy, season-long 1897 battle between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Beaneaters. The Orioles had acquired a reputation as the dirtiest team in baseball. Future Hall of Famers John McGraw, Wee Willie Keeler, and “Foxy” Ned Hanlon were proven winners—but their nasty tactics met with widespread disapproval among fans. So it was that their pennant race with the comparatively saintly Beaneaters took on a decidedly moralistic air.
Bill Felber brings to life the most intensely watched team sporting event in the country’s history to that time. His book captures the drama of the final week, as the race came down to a three-game series. And finally, it conveys the madness of the third and decisive game, when thirty thousand fans literally knocked down the gates and walls of a facility designed to hold ten thousand to watch the Beaneaters grind out a win and bring down baseball’s first and most notorious evil empire.
Bill Felber brings to life the most intensely watched team sporting event in the country’s history to that time. His book captures the drama of the final week, as the race came down to a three-game series. And finally, it conveys the madness of the third and decisive game, when thirty thousand fans literally knocked down the gates and walls of a facility designed to hold ten thousand to watch the Beaneaters grind out a win and bring down baseball’s first and most notorious evil empire.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 4, 2008
Jimmy Collins having to have his eye leeched before the climatic series with the Orioles is possibly the coolest baseball story ever. I really enjoyed learning more about the pre-1900 game as well.
January 30, 2022
(3.5 stars) This work takes the reader back to a far different time in America and baseball. When you think of an “evil empire” for a baseball team on the East Coast, you probably think of the Yankees or maybe the Red Sox. Yet, in 1897, you would have probably rooted for, or against, the Baltimore Orioles, the original team, not the current franchise. They had been the dominant team for the past three seasons. Yet, they faced a challenge from a plucky underdog, the Boston Beaneaters (yes, the Beaneaters, not the Red Sox).
This was pre-modern World Series, and the names that come up in this book are the old, old, old school superstars, from Cy Young to John McGraw. Yet, the fascinating part of this book is the description of the environment and life in that time and age. Baseball back then was a rougher, less refined game. There was only one umpire, and the players engaged in a rougher style of play, especially Baltimore. Yet, the passion for the game from the fans, especially in the series finale where Boston overcame the powerful Baltimore team in Baltimore, were not that much different than today, especially in Baltimore. Also, the description of how people lived, entertained themselves and dealt with the different laws and rules of that time (I.e. baseball on Sundays was illegal in many parts of the country).
While a lot of this book gets into the individual game scores, the best part is the historical context and what life and the game was really like. While a 5-3 score in 1897 is not that much different than a 5-3 score in 2022, how that 5-3 score game came about in 1897 would be far different than in 2022. Perhaps this work would not appeal to the non-baseball, non-Baltimore/non-Boston resident, but if you like baseball and are tied to either Baltimore or Boston, then you will like this work.
This was pre-modern World Series, and the names that come up in this book are the old, old, old school superstars, from Cy Young to John McGraw. Yet, the fascinating part of this book is the description of the environment and life in that time and age. Baseball back then was a rougher, less refined game. There was only one umpire, and the players engaged in a rougher style of play, especially Baltimore. Yet, the passion for the game from the fans, especially in the series finale where Boston overcame the powerful Baltimore team in Baltimore, were not that much different than today, especially in Baltimore. Also, the description of how people lived, entertained themselves and dealt with the different laws and rules of that time (I.e. baseball on Sundays was illegal in many parts of the country).
While a lot of this book gets into the individual game scores, the best part is the historical context and what life and the game was really like. While a 5-3 score in 1897 is not that much different than a 5-3 score in 2022, how that 5-3 score game came about in 1897 would be far different than in 2022. Perhaps this work would not appeal to the non-baseball, non-Baltimore/non-Boston resident, but if you like baseball and are tied to either Baltimore or Boston, then you will like this work.
February 25, 2024
It's that time! Spring training has sprung, so a baseball book was on the agenda. I've been checking out Strat-o-Matic online (after many years of APBA) with the 1894 season, so this was just the book.
As advertised, it's a general log of the season... focusing on the top two teams, Boston and Baltimore, who had both won 3 pennants each in the 6 years before. It's full of the crazy stories that make up the dead ball era.
It also talked about Boston's Royal Rooters quite a bit... the first real organized fans in professional sports.
I wasn't aware there was such difficult keeping umpires employed, which was really interesting. The writer (clearly more a fan of Boston than Baltimore) portrayedit as a clash of styles.. Boston's fair play and power hitting to the Orioles running, scrapping and 'kicking' (working the umps).
It also gave me some nice info on alot of the players that will make my 1894 season more fun, which was definitely part of the idea :).
As advertised, it's a general log of the season... focusing on the top two teams, Boston and Baltimore, who had both won 3 pennants each in the 6 years before. It's full of the crazy stories that make up the dead ball era.
It also talked about Boston's Royal Rooters quite a bit... the first real organized fans in professional sports.
I wasn't aware there was such difficult keeping umpires employed, which was really interesting. The writer (clearly more a fan of Boston than Baltimore) portrayedit as a clash of styles.. Boston's fair play and power hitting to the Orioles running, scrapping and 'kicking' (working the umps).
It also gave me some nice info on alot of the players that will make my 1894 season more fun, which was definitely part of the idea :).
February 21, 2022
A breathtaking narrative of the 1987 pennant race between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Beaneaters (now Atlanta Braves.) It gives a thorough history of both teams and especially the Boston fans. Baseball back then was indeed a game of brawl with players fighting opponents, umpires, fans and even their own teammates. Most of the players came from poor backgrounds and they would do whatever it took not to go back there which could happen quite easily.
One small issue I had was throughout the whole book it would have a page of standings every chapter. In the latter part of the book it would show only the two teams. However, during the penultimate series of the season when the two teams faced off with the pennant on the line, the standings were nowhere to be found.
One small issue I had was throughout the whole book it would have a page of standings every chapter. In the latter part of the book it would show only the two teams. However, during the penultimate series of the season when the two teams faced off with the pennant on the line, the standings were nowhere to be found.
May 20, 2024
I'm pretty much guaranteed to read any book about 19th century baseball, so this scratches an itch for me.
Still, plagued by some editing issues, particularly in the area covering the final month of the 1897 season. The end-of-day standings don't always line up with details of what happened that day (i.e. the Orioles won today, and yet they lost a Win in the standings since yesterday?) nor do the winning percentages.
Also, some of the game details can be a bit of a slog. I was excited to see them there, and yet... They turned out to be a bit much for me.
That being said, this is the best we've gotten for the 1897 season and I hope other authors continue to write about pre-1920 baseball seasons.
Still, plagued by some editing issues, particularly in the area covering the final month of the 1897 season. The end-of-day standings don't always line up with details of what happened that day (i.e. the Orioles won today, and yet they lost a Win in the standings since yesterday?) nor do the winning percentages.
Also, some of the game details can be a bit of a slog. I was excited to see them there, and yet... They turned out to be a bit much for me.
That being said, this is the best we've gotten for the 1897 season and I hope other authors continue to write about pre-1920 baseball seasons.
June 12, 2020
An excellent baseball history. The year of the first true pennant race lasting to the penultimate weekend of the year when Boston and Baltimore faced off to decide the winner. It covers a time period not often revealed, when most games featured a single umpire and violence and cheating were rampant. That series featured 4 future player hall of famers and three managers. Recommended for baseball lovers.
April 27, 2024
Very good baseball book. The only objection is that I feel a little too much attention is given to Boston, but then I am a strong Baltimore Oriole fan. Highly recommend this piece of baseball history
October 10, 2025
I wish this book got more into the fan culture of the time (and it at least spends a chapter or two on the matter), but the author’s clear attempt to present only the facts may have prevented this. Still this was an engaging read during October baseball.
February 26, 2017
More than any other professional sports league, baseball has a nearly unbroken chain of lineage dating back to the 19th century. Sure, many things have changed in the last 100+ years, but in 1897 the game was still quite recognizable...if not rather rough around the edges.
"A Game of Brawl" focuses in on its time period by examining the epic pennant race of the 1897 National League season, where the battle between the Boston Beaneaters & the Baltimore Orioles came right down to the wire. Author Bill Felber takes us through that magical season step by step, providing historical accounts of all the relevant action.
The main reason I enjoyed this book is because of the "snapshot" it gives of pre-1900s baseball, where umpires were physically insulted, players routinely cheated in full view of spectators, and the sport as a whole was just beginning to grow on a mass scale (e.g. Boston's "Royal Rooters" organization the first widely-renowned fan club). Though the backbone of the game is securely in place, it was still a place for ruffians & thugs, where "anything goes" was truly the name of the game. It was fascinating to read Felber's descriptions of some of the wacky antics of the time period, while putting them into context of today's incredible tame game in comparison.
The only reason I can't give this book a full five stars? It is actually a bit too detailed in portions. I truly cared about the overall pennant race, but the minutiae of single-game details got a little much at times. At least fifty pages of game recaps could have been cut out of this book and replaced with something much more interesting.
Overall, though, "A Game of Brawl" is a wonderful read for baseball history fanatics for its ability to transport them back to an era when the sport existed, but was still yet too rough to truly be embraced by a national culture.
"A Game of Brawl" focuses in on its time period by examining the epic pennant race of the 1897 National League season, where the battle between the Boston Beaneaters & the Baltimore Orioles came right down to the wire. Author Bill Felber takes us through that magical season step by step, providing historical accounts of all the relevant action.
The main reason I enjoyed this book is because of the "snapshot" it gives of pre-1900s baseball, where umpires were physically insulted, players routinely cheated in full view of spectators, and the sport as a whole was just beginning to grow on a mass scale (e.g. Boston's "Royal Rooters" organization the first widely-renowned fan club). Though the backbone of the game is securely in place, it was still a place for ruffians & thugs, where "anything goes" was truly the name of the game. It was fascinating to read Felber's descriptions of some of the wacky antics of the time period, while putting them into context of today's incredible tame game in comparison.
The only reason I can't give this book a full five stars? It is actually a bit too detailed in portions. I truly cared about the overall pennant race, but the minutiae of single-game details got a little much at times. At least fifty pages of game recaps could have been cut out of this book and replaced with something much more interesting.
Overall, though, "A Game of Brawl" is a wonderful read for baseball history fanatics for its ability to transport them back to an era when the sport existed, but was still yet too rough to truly be embraced by a national culture.
October 23, 2012
It was okay. A bit dry, not unlike reading a collection of newspaper articles instead of a coherent story.
What it does, it does very well. It's just that I think Felber missed a great opportunity to tell a story instead of listing facts.
What it does, it does very well. It's just that I think Felber missed a great opportunity to tell a story instead of listing facts.
February 25, 2019
A great time machine to an earlier time in baseball and American history.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews