Hack's 191

Hack Wilsons record 191 RBIs in 1930 may well stand the test of time, and so may the record of his hard-drinking lifestyle. In Hacks 191, Bill Chastain recreates the most productive offensive season in baseball history while giving readers unique insight into the life of one of baseballs most fascinating, enigmatic, and yet neglected characters.Drunk or sober, Wilson lived large in Prohibition-era Chicago,where theentertainment and nightclub industries thrived, and Al Capone, a friend of Wilson, reigned as the most publicized gangster in America. Hack finished the 1929 seasonbatting .345 with 39 home runs and 159 RBIs, giving him his fourth consecutive 100-plus RBI season before for misplaying two fly balls in the World Series. Despite losing the Series, the Cubs entered the 1930 season favored again to win the National League pennant. After a slow start and many bad breaks, the teamwas in first place by the end of August, with Hack Wilson leading the way. Chronicling the ups, downs, and record-setting accomplishments of Lewis R. Hack Wilson, this book returns arguably the most hard-living, hard-hitting ballplayer in history to the lineup of the games greats.