Author Tim Newby hits it out of the park with “The Original Louisville Slugger,” which separates facts from fiction regarding an often overlooked batting champion from the nineteen century – Pete Browning. Newby also attempts to explain the rational of the writers not to vote the prolific hitter into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. His career batting average is a specular .341, and he won a batting title as a rookie, one of only five players to do so in the history of the Major Leagues. As noted, Browning is just one of four players to win a battling title in multiple leagues.
Browning became the name sake of the Louisville Slugger, as the first player with a custom made bat. He was nicknamed The Gladiator, and developed a reputation of being very cocky. Additionally, Browning prided himself as a slugger, and often boasted about being a hitter, not a fielder. Had he played as a designed hitter, he would already be in the hall of fame. Another “strike” against Browning was his addition to alcohol. However, as Newby points out, many players drank, and often times showed up at the ballpark inebriated.
Newby explores the possibility of Browning’s drinking to aid his battles with mastoiditis and vertigo. He also suffered from deafness, which would made it difficult to hear any shouts from his teammates. It is astonishing to realize how much Browning was able to achieve in baseball with all his aliments. No question, The Gladiator was eccentric and quirky, but as you can pick up from the book – his passion was baseball. Another interesting question posed by Newby, just how great of a player he could have been without alcohol and his health issues.
This book is meticulously researched, and was in consideration for the Casey Award, a literary award that has been given to the best baseball book of the year since 1983. This is a captivating book, one that I am looking forward to listening to it again. Newby’s love for baseball is overt, and I am hoping he writes another book on the subject. being a big fan of nineteen century baseball. The narration of Ray Montecalvo is also top notch – definitely a grandslam!
By: Tim Newby
Narrated by: Ray Montecalvo
Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
Release date: 07-14-25
