The Summer of Beer and Whiskey

Anyone (of age) who's ever gone to watch a big-league game knows the joy a cold one can add to the game of baseball — but did you know that beer itself may have changed the game? The Summer of Beer and Whiskey: How Brewers, Barkeeps, Rowdies, Immigrants, and a Wild Pennant Fight Made Baseball America's Game ($17) takes a look at Chris Von der Ahe's gambit to found the St. Louis Browns in the hopes of selling more beer, establishing the American Association (later to become the American League) along the way, and revitalizing the sport with a new group of teams that featured rowdy, reckless, and, yes, drunk players.