Baseball, Baltimore and Books

[Gulfbird44]

I've always had a passion for reading and I've combined my passion for reading with my love of baseball and particularly that of baseball in Baltimore. I know this is not the definitive "library" of all that is baseball and the city as well as players and personalities that have played here or called a game here, etc but I wanted to share this list with the group. Who knows, maybe there is a book you have never heard of and I would be willing to hear from others with books they liked as well...Cheers!

Baltimore and baseball:

Bready, James H. Baseball in Baltimore, the First 100 Years. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Flynn, Tom. Baseball in Baltimore. South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2008.

Orioles:

Patterson, Ted. The Baltimore Orioles, Four Decades of Magic from 33rd to Camden Yards. Maryland: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2000.

Berney, Louis. Tales from the Orioles Dugout, a Collection of the Greatest Stories Ever Told. Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2004.

Fox, Bucky. The Orioles Fan’s Little Book of Wisdom. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc, 2008.

Barney, Rex and Macht, Norman L. Rex Barney’s Orioles Memories, 1969-1994. Connecticut: Goodwood Press, 1994

Lieb, Frederick G. The Baltimore Orioles, the History of a Colorful Team in Baltimore and St Louis. Illinois: Southern Illinois University, 2005

Rambeck, Richard. Baltimore Orioles. Minnesota: Creative Education, Inc, 1992.

Adelman, Tom. Black and Blue, the Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series that Stunned America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006.

Lynch, Frank. Orioles Rise from the Ashes, Baltimore’s Journey to the Majors. Baltimore: PublishAmerica LLLP, 2006.

Loverro, Thom. Orioles Essential, Everything you need to know to be a Real Fan. Illinois: Triumph Books, 2007.

Seidel, Jeff. Baltimore Orioles, Where Have You Gone? Cal Ripken Jr, Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer and Other Orioles Greats. Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2006.

Loverro, Tom. Orioles Magic, the O’s of 83. Illinois: Triumph Books, 2004.

Millikin, Mark. The Glory of the 1966 Orioles and Baltimore. New Jersey: St Johann Press, 2006.

Eisenberg, John. From 33rd Street to Camden Yards. New York: Contemporary Books, 2001.

Players and Personalities:

Rosenthal, Ken, et al. Cal, Celebrating the Career of a Baseball Legend. St Louis, Baltimore: Sporting News, the Baltimore Sun, 2001

Ripken, Cal Jr. The Longest Season. New York: Philomel Books, 2007

Henneman, Jim, et al. Ripken, from Aberdeen to Cooperstown, a Celebration of a Hometown Hero. Baltimore: Word Smith Media Ventures, LLC, 2007.

Weaver, Earl and Stainback, Berry. It’s what you Learn After You Know it All That Counts, the Autobiography of Earl Weaver. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1982

Robinson, Brooks and Tobin, Jack. Third Base is My Home. Texas: Word, Inc, 1974.

Ripken, Cal, Jr and Phillips, Donald T. Get in the Game, 8 Elements of Perseverance That Make the Difference. New York: Gotham Books, 2007.

Wolfson, Staci, et al. Brooks Robinson, the Original Oriole. Maryland: Word Smith Media Ventures, LLC, 2007.

Ripken, Cal Jr and Bryan, Mike. The Only Way I Know. New York: Penguin Books, 1998.

Thompson, Chuck and Beard, Gordon. Ain’t the Beer Cold! Maryland: Diamond Communications, 2002.

Miller, Jon and Hyman, Mark. Confessions of a Baseball Purist, What’s Right and Wrong With Baseball, as Seen from the Best Seat in the House. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.

Seidel, Jeff. Baseball’s Iron Man, Cal Ripken Jr, a Tribute. Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2007.


Miscellaneous:

The House of Magic, 1922-1991, 70 Years of Thrills and Excitement on 33rd Street. Ed. Bob Brown. Baltimore: French Bray, 1991.

Loverro, Thom. Home of the Game, the Story of Camden Yards. Texas: Taylor Publishing, 1999.

[Alphonse]

This is a phenomenal list. Thanks quite a bit. If I were to ask you to narrow it down to three selections, could (and would) you identify them?

[Gulfbird44]

This is a phenomenal list. Thanks quite a bit. If I were to ask you to narrow it down to three selections, could (and would) you identify them?


I will be honest that there are about 5-6 I have yet to read (I have a pile of baseball and military history books to pile through)...of the ones I have read my top three would be:

1. Eisenberg, John. From 33rd Street to Camden Yards. New York: Contemporary Books, 2001.
2. Millikin, Mark. The Glory of the 1966 Orioles and Baltimore. New Jersey: St Johann Press, 2006.
3. Miller, Jon and Hyman, Mark. Confessions of a Baseball Purist, What’s Right and Wrong With Baseball, as Seen from the Best Seat in the House. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.

[Boy Howdy]

Bready, James H. Baseball in Baltimore, the First 100 Years. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Berney, Louis. Tales from the Orioles Dugout, a Collection of the Greatest Stories Ever Told. Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2004.

Adelman, Tom. Black and Blue, the Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series that Stunned America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006.

Eisenberg, John. From 33rd Street to Camden Yards. New York: Contemporary Books, 2001.

Weaver, Earl and Stainback, Berry. It’s what you Learn After You Know it All That Counts, the Autobiography of Earl Weaver. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1982

Robinson, Brooks and Tobin, Jack. Third Base is My Home. Texas: Word, Inc, 1974.

Thompson, Chuck and Beard, Gordon. Ain’t the Beer Cold! Maryland: Diamond Communications, 2002.

Miller, Jon and Hyman, Mark. Confessions of a Baseball Purist, What’s Right and Wrong With Baseball, as Seen from the Best Seat in the House. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.

The House of Magic, 1922-1991, 70 Years of Thrills and Excitement on 33rd Street. Ed. Bob Brown. Baltimore: French Bray, 1991.



I edited the original post to show what I've read, and bolded my top three essentials.

Weaver on Strategy is another must read, and Jim Palmer's Together We Were Eleven-Foot-Nine is worthwhile.

One of the best books by a former Oriole that I ever read is Milt Pappas' excellent Out At Home. It's as much about life as baseball (and his was full of tragedy as well as triumph), but I just couldn't put it down. If you write to him for an autograph, he'll send you the info about it. I've never seen it in a store. Buying it from him is cool because you can get the first 100+ game winner in Orioles history to sign it for you.

[Gulfbird44]

I edited the original post to show what I've read, and bolded my top three essentials.

Weaver on Strategy is another must read, and Jim Palmer's Together We Were Eleven-Foot-Nine is worthwhile.

One of the best books by a former Oriole that I ever read is Milt Pappas' excellent Out At Home. It's as much about life as baseball (and his was full of tragedy as well as triumph), but I just couldn't put it down. If you write to him for an autograph, he'll send you the info about it. I've never seen it in a store. Buying it from him is cool because you can get the first 100+ game winner in Orioles history to sign it for you.


Thank you Boom Boom. I need to look for that Pappas book. I heard the other Weaver book is good but I was recommended not to waste money on the Palmer book.

There is reportedly another Oriole book out as of April. I pre-ordered it from Amazon and about a month ago I got an e-mail from them saying they wouldn't carry it. Odd.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Ballpark: Camden Yards and the Building of an American Dream (http://www.amazon.com/Ballpark-Camden-Yards-Building-American/dp/0684800489/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214445150&sr=8-2)

Where They Ain't: The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball (http://www.amazon.com/Where-They-Aint-Untimely-Baltimore/dp/0385498829/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214445213&sr=1-1)

Anybody that hasn't read those two books is a Yankees fan. Oh yeah, I went there.

[Gulfbird44]

Ballpark: Camden Yards and the Building of an American Dream (http://www.amazon.com/Ballpark-Camden-Yards-Building-American/dp/0684800489/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214445150&sr=8-2)
Loverro some what trashes this book in Home of the Game...I guess I should still check it out..

Where They Ain't: The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball (http://www.amazon.com/Where-They-Aint-Untimely-Baltimore/dp/0385498829/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214445213&sr=1-1)
.

On my list of books to get. There is a third book on the OLD O's that covers the Birds and the Beaneaters...the title escapes me

[BaltimoreTerp]

Loverro some what trashes this book in Home of the Game...I guess I should still check it out..

Well, I'm of the belief that if Thom Loverro tells me the sky is blue, my response is something like, "What? It's lime green, you :cussing:."

So, that just makes me like the book more :laughlol:

[Gulfbird44]

Well, I'm of the belief that if Thom Loverro tells me the sky is blue, my response is something like, "What? It's lime green, you :cussing:."

So, that just makes me like the book more :laughlol:

Fair enough, I am willing to check it out...thank you

[cmcgarvey]

Millikin, Mark. The Glory of the 1966 Orioles and Baltimore. New Jersey: St Johann Press, 2006.I found this book to be very informative, but too dry.
It was kind of boring.

[Roy Firestone]

I've always had a passion for reading and I've combined my passion for reading with my love of baseball and particularly that of baseball in Baltimore. I know this is not the definitive "library" of all that is baseball and the city as well as players and personalities that have played here or called a game here, etc but I wanted to share this list with the group. Who knows, maybe there is a book you have never heard of and I would be willing to hear from others with books they liked as well...Cheers!

Baltimore and baseball:

Bready, James H. Baseball in Baltimore, the First 100 Years. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Flynn, Tom. Baseball in Baltimore. South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2008.

Orioles:

Patterson, Ted. The Baltimore Orioles, Four Decades of Magic from 33rd to Camden Yards. Maryland: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2000.

Berney, Louis. Tales from the Orioles Dugout, a Collection of the Greatest Stories Ever Told. Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2004.

Fox, Bucky. The Orioles Fan’s Little Book of Wisdom. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc, 2008.

Barney, Rex and Macht, Norman L. Rex Barney’s Orioles Memories, 1969-1994. Connecticut: Goodwood Press, 1994

Lieb, Frederick G. The Baltimore Orioles, the History of a Colorful Team in Baltimore and St Louis. Illinois: Southern Illinois University, 2005

Rambeck, Richard. Baltimore Orioles. Minnesota: Creative Education, Inc, 1992.

Adelman, Tom. Black and Blue, the Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series that Stunned America. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006.

Lynch, Frank. Orioles Rise from the Ashes, Baltimore’s Journey to the Majors. Baltimore: PublishAmerica LLLP, 2006.

Loverro, Thom. Orioles Essential, Everything you need to know to be a Real Fan. Illinois: Triumph Books, 2007.

Seidel, Jeff. Baltimore Orioles, Where Have You Gone? Cal Ripken Jr, Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer and Other Orioles Greats. Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2006.

Loverro, Tom. Orioles Magic, the O’s of 83. Illinois: Triumph Books, 2004.

Millikin, Mark. The Glory of the 1966 Orioles and Baltimore. New Jersey: St Johann Press, 2006.

Eisenberg, John. From 33rd Street to Camden Yards. New York: Contemporary Books, 2001.

Players and Personalities:

Rosenthal, Ken, et al. Cal, Celebrating the Career of a Baseball Legend. St Louis, Baltimore: Sporting News, the Baltimore Sun, 2001

Ripken, Cal Jr. The Longest Season. New York: Philomel Books, 2007

Henneman, Jim, et al. Ripken, from Aberdeen to Cooperstown, a Celebration of a Hometown Hero. Baltimore: Word Smith Media Ventures, LLC, 2007.

Weaver, Earl and Stainback, Berry. It’s what you Learn After You Know it All That Counts, the Autobiography of Earl Weaver. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1982

Robinson, Brooks and Tobin, Jack. Third Base is My Home. Texas: Word, Inc, 1974.

Ripken, Cal, Jr and Phillips, Donald T. Get in the Game, 8 Elements of Perseverance That Make the Difference. New York: Gotham Books, 2007.

Wolfson, Staci, et al. Brooks Robinson, the Original Oriole. Maryland: Word Smith Media Ventures, LLC, 2007.

Ripken, Cal Jr and Bryan, Mike. The Only Way I Know. New York: Penguin Books, 1998.

Thompson, Chuck and Beard, Gordon. Ain’t the Beer Cold! Maryland: Diamond Communications, 2002.

Miller, Jon and Hyman, Mark. Confessions of a Baseball Purist, What’s Right and Wrong With Baseball, as Seen from the Best Seat in the House. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.

Seidel, Jeff. Baseball’s Iron Man, Cal Ripken Jr, a Tribute. Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2007.


Miscellaneous:

The House of Magic, 1922-1991, 70 Years of Thrills and Excitement on 33rd Street. Ed. Bob Brown. Baltimore: French Bray, 1991.

Loverro, Thom. Home of the Game, the Story of Camden Yards. Texas: Taylor Publishing, 1999.
Ive read so many books about the O's. Tom Adelman's book is easily the best. Incredibly well researched and compelling. Five stars for Black and Blue.

[Gulfbird44]

Roy:
Thank you for your input Roy. I have to admit I learned alot from Adelman's book. I was five when the 66 series happened and at age 47 (now) I remember parts but only what I saw as a child of the time. Black and Blue added some of the social dynamics of the period that as a child you don't pick up on at that age (or maybe I was a naive five year old).

CMC:
I didn't know it right away but I was sitting next to Mark Millikin at the bash for the 66 O's at Morgan State a few years back. He had a copy of his book with him and gave it to a lady near by. When I asked him about it he said it would be out soon but that was the only copy he had (would have loved to have read it before I met him). Since I live out of state it took for ever to find a copy (I was in Bawlmore and found a copy at Sports Legends).

On a side note, 33rd to Camden Yards is kinda special to me in a different way as I had just finished reading a copy when the O's where in town to play the D Rays (yes, the "D" Rays at the time) and I brought a copy to the Trop with me hoping to get some of the older guys (ie, the coaches) to sign. Ellie happened to walk by and I asked if he could please sign the book for me. He smiled, took the book from me and signed and when he gave it back said "you know, I never got a copy of this book" I told him that was terrible and said that he could have that copy. He said "well, I just signed that copy" I told him no worries and I would get another copy for him to sign next time they were in town. Well, I found another copy and Ellie, true to his word signed it for me. That December Ellie passed on. As sort of a tribute to Ellie I started to get other players from the time frame the book covers to sign the book and at current I am up to 70 players and managers including Ellie, the Crow, Robbie, Brooks, Cakes, the Earl of Baltimore, the Rabbit, Mo, and even Mister October.