Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story

by Cindy Thomson, Scott Brown

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, a team that from 1906 through 1910 was arguably the best in baseball history. 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 trail 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 reach a dream that most believed was unreachable.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Cindy Thomson is the author of both fiction and nonfiction, including her newest novel, Enya’s Son, third in the Daughters of Ireland series based on ancient legends. Being a genealogy enthusiast, she has also written articles for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today magazines, and children’s short stories for Clubhouse Magazine. She has also co-authored a baseball biography. Most everything she writes reflects her belief that history has stories to teach. Cindy and her husband live in central Ohio near their three grown sons and their families.

Reviews

[Chris Witt · Rating 1 out of 5]

As bland as its subject, "Three Finger" reads like a book put together by people with only the most superficial understanding of baseball, copied and pasted out of various Wikipedia entries.

As a lifelong Cubs' supporter and a big fan of the Deadball era, this was a must-read for me. However, my perception has always been that Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown didn't lead a particularly interesting life and this book, written by two of his descendants, doesn't do anything to change my mind about that.

A good guy? Sure. By all accounts, that's true. But that doesn't lead to a very interesting read.

Thomson and Brown's discussions of baseball details often come across like the intended audience is for fellow family members who may be interested in the life of their great-great-grandparent or for a 3rd grade classroom. If you are a baseball aficionado, however, it feels a little bit "dumbed down".

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started reading this, the Cubs were the best team in the National League and heavily favored to make it to the World Series.

I guess I don't need to tell you how that story ends.

The book is fine, for what it is. The fact that it's written by Brown's descendants should tell you all you need to know about how strong a critique the reader can expect. Nevertheless, they do a perfectly adequate job of describing the life and times of a man whose only notable achievements were losing a finger as a child and pitching for the Cubs as an adult.

The book is mainly interesting in its depiction of life as a baseball player in the early twentieth century, which is as far removed from the life of the modern baseball player as possible.

It's also a good reminder that there was a time when the Cubs were famous for more than failure.

[Bob Barker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointed
I was eager to read about Three Finger Brown but the pacing, and the way it’s written made me feel like I was reading a middle school project.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable book. It was a historical book, but not really historical fiction so much (there were gaps that would have been filled in by the author if it had been like the Devil in the White City, but this one was very focused on being true to the historical record). That made it a little gappy at times, but it was still fascinating. It was not just about Brown himself, but it was also an interesting look at baseball in the 1910-ish time period - and of the culture at the time as well.

[Br&on Awesomeness · Rating 1 out of 5]

garbage! absolute GARBAGE! If i could rate a book with a zero i would rate this book with one. all it is, is a bunch of stats and a few stories that don't matter. the book is very boring and hard to follow at times. you would have to be the biggest stat person to ever live to understand what is going on throughout the story. the author tried to make the reader interested by saying pointless stories.

the end

[Monte Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about one of the most unique pitchers in the history of baseball. With only 3 fingers on his pitching hand, Mordecai Brown became a Hall of Fame pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in the early 20th century. The book is written by a couple of his relatives and tells a good, but simple story of the man and his life. If you like baseball and are interested in its early history, this is a good book.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aside from being a great pitcher, with a unique pitching style, Brown isn't a particularly interesting character. The very matter of fact writing style lends to a rather flat book. It's respectable as a historical text of the dead ball era, but there are better ones out there.

[Frank Shedd · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is the true story of baseball pitcher Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown called three finger
he mangled his right hand in a farm accident when he was 5 but became a great pitcher
and was on the last world series winning Cubs team in 1908 this is a fine telling of his life

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been interested in Three Finger Brown since getting his legends card as a kid. Great to finally learn the story.

[Everett Corder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't a super exciting page-turner or anything, but it does provide a good look at Mordecai Brown's Hall of Fame career as well as what life was like for Deadball Era baseball players.

[Chris Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weak writing, lack of interesting stories left me wondering about who Mordecai really was.

[Karen Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for true baseball fans who are interested in the history of the game.