In 1883, the Philadelphia Athletics were champions of the American Association. Although they are largely-forgotten today, the team epitomized the Beer and Whiskey League. The summer of 1883 had one of the tightest pennant races in baseball history to that point, with the Athletics edging out Chris Von Der Ahe's St. Louis Browns by a single game. The race fueled the popularity of the game of baseball, particularly in Philadelphia and St. Louis. The Athletics were a hard-living team that connected with the working-class immigrants of Philadelphia. Despite numerous injuries, the team battled through adversity to bring Philadelphia a championship.

This book presents biographies of the ballplayers, the owners, a history of the ballpark, the Jefferson Street Grounds, and a timeline of the team's season. Ten selected games have been written up, and a few essays on the season provide valuable historical context. The book represents the combined efforts of 28 members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).