Full Description
On October 8, 1908, Mordecai Brown clutched a half-dozen notes inside his coat pocket. The message of each was clear: we'll kill you if you pitch and beat the Giants. A black handprint marked each note, the signature of the Italian Mafia.
Mordecai Brown—dubbed "Three Finger" because of a childhood farm injury—was the dominant pitcher for the great Chicago Cubs team of the early twentieth century. Brown's handicap enabled him to throw pitches with an unconventional movement that left batters bewildered—the curve ball that Ty Cobb once called "the most devastating" he had ever faced.
How Brown responded to the Mafia's threats in 1908 mirrored the way he took life in general: with unflappable courage and resolve. Telling his story for the first time, Cindy Thomson and Scott Brown track Mordecai from the Indiana countryside to the coal mines, from semipro ball to the Majors, from the World Series mound back down to the Minors. Along the way they retrieve the lost lore of one of baseball's greatest pitchers and chronicle one man's determination to attain a dream that most believed was unreachable.
Contents
ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Who Was Three Finger Brown?2. Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown3. Miner Brown4. Three Finger5. The Royal Rescuer6. Grace under Pressure7. Plenty of Pluck8. The Champion9. The Mentor10. Old Reliable11. The Great Eliminator12. Outlaw Brown13. Ambassador Brown14. Forever Friend15. Hoosier Hero16. Old-timer17. BrownieEpilogue: Uncle MortAppendix A: How Did He Do It?Appendix B: Mordecai Brown's Career StatisticsNotesFor Further InformationIndex
