Even the Browns

Journalist William Mead wrote this interesting look at the St. Louis Browns and baseball during World War II. Mead examines some history of this underdog franchise, which won its only American League pennant in 1944 as most big-leaguers were in military uniform. The 1944 Browns squeezed out a pennant on the last day with a typical wartime roster of aged players and some 4-F's whose minor infirmities kept them out of the service but not off the field. We learn about top Brownie players like Denny Galehouse, Don Gutteridge, and Mike Kreevich, manager Luke Sewell, and the team's ownership. The author quotes several players, adding spice to the narrative. We also learn about baseball during the first half of the 1940's, as war needs affected the game. I'd have liked more attention on the 1944 pennant race, but this is a solid look at the era, plus the largely-forgotten Browns (1902-1953), forerunners of today's Baltimore Orioles.