A must read!!!!

[Roy Firestone]

This book is two years old..and most Oriole fans know it is a very respected book. But the most fascinating and detailed account of the 1966 Orioles is a book written by Tom Adelman called " Black and Blue". It is a very well researched and well written book about the 1966 season and the trails of both the Dodgers and the Orioles.
I loved this team, because I grew up in love with the Orioles and this was the first time they ever made it to the World Series.
One thing you must read is the incredible story of Moe Drabowsky. He turned in the greatest relief stint in World Series history, and in my opinion perhaps the greatest single relief performance of ALL TIME!
Moe came in for Dave Mcnally(in the second inning), and, with the game on the line pitched 6 and 2/3rds innings of 1 hit ball and struck out..get this, 11 men..... including 6 in a row!
Only 3 Dodgers got the ball out of the infield once Moe came in...and heres the payoff..No other Oriole reliever was ever used again for the rest of the World Series. In fact, the Orioles never substituted another player for the rest of the series! Bizarre....and a record that will NEVER EVER be broken.
Anyway..this book is a keeper for an Oriole fan.
Moe died a couple of years ago..and he is missed even today by Orioles young and old.
I highly recommend..."Black and Blue' by Tom Adelman.

[Moose Milligan]

It's a good book, I blew through it in two days last year.

[Boy Howdy]

I never got around to this one because I read I scathing review somewhere that ripped the author a new one for a variety of factual errors. You guys have convinced me to track it down and give it a shot though.

Does anybody have The Home Team by James Bready? I had the 1980 edition as a child, but it's packed up 200 miles away from me somewhere. People wanted crazy $$$ for the few copies I was able to locate on-line when I wanted to reference it recently, but I remained patient and got both the 1971 & 1984 editions for 99 cents each a month or two ago.

Great photos & year-by-year accounts of our favorite ball team. Every OH-er should have one!

[RShack]

I never got around to this one because I read I scathing review somewhere that ripped the author a new one for a variety of factual errors. You guys have convinced me to track it down and give it a shot though.
It's well worth it. I learned stuff I didn't know, mainly about the season leading up to the WS. For example, how Brooks helped prevent racial cliques by grabbing 12 guys of various colors and making sure they all went out to dinner together. I also didn't know how much of an impression Frank made in ST. By the time they headed north, they were cocky about how they were gonna win it all, even with mostly-unproven kids playing up the middle.

I also learned lots about the Dodger's season that I didn't know. I'll tell you what: Koufax had more than just a great arm. The man had some serious nads too. Talk about being there for his team and not whining, I think Koufax must take the cake. I think he wins the all-time award for doing whatever it takes no matter what.

Somebody on amazon had a major fit because the author said Baltimore was MD's capital. That was a stupid mistake, but it had nothing to do with baseball. Plus, the author referred to Agnew as "a Baltimore County executive" when his actual job title was "Baltimore County Executive". Those are the only mistakes I remember, and neither one had anything to do with baseball. I think some folks got mad just because the guy told the truth about racial stuff in Baltimore, and about the crap Frank ran into when he showed up and tried to buy a house. Some folks thought the author was dissing Baltimore, but he was just telling the truth, that's all. Having a black guy be the team leader was a completely new idea in Baltimore.

[66-70-83-??]

I think I will give this book a shot, too.

Although, I must admit, reading books with lots of factual errors does turn me off. It does make me question the authors credibility. If he gets lots of little stuff wrong- (dates, politicians, state capital etc..) then he may get some big important stuff wrong. At the least it gives the impression that he is sloppy and/or doesn't care.

Perhaps a bigger mistake- I noticed that the title of the book has been changed for the paperback. The hardback was titled, Black and Blue: The Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, the 1966 World Series That Stunned America.

Well, there is only ONE "Golden Arm" that is associated with in Baltimore. It isnt the one Adelman was referring too. :eek: And to call anyone else "Golden Arm" in Baltimore is blasphemy! ;)

The new title is Black and Blue: Sandy Koufax, the Robinson Boys..........

[mojmann]

Does anybody have The Home Team by James Bready? I had the 1980 edition as a child, but it's packed up 200 miles away from me somewhere. People wanted crazy $$$ for the few copies I was able to locate on-line when I wanted to reference it recently, but I remained patient and got both the 1971 & 1984 editions for 99 cents each a month or two ago.!

Yes, I do!!!! I'm so glad you brought this up. I remember my uncle (now long gone) buying it for me during the 1979 ALCS for $5. This Orange paperback has literally never left me as I've traveled around the world. Wherever, I move ... it goes with me in a prominent place. It's dogeared and yellowed, and I still love it as much as the day I first got it.

Anyway, I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Bready at the Sports Legends Museum about two years ago -- more than 25 years after my uncle bought me the book. He wrote: "To Craig, May he live to see the Orioles win another World Series. Jim Bready."

Oh my god, you couldn't buy that book from me for $10,000.

Thanks, Boom Boom, for bringing that up.