Wire to Wire: The '97 Orioles

[KAZ97]

Hello all - long time lurker, seldom time poster here.  I recently embarked on a project that I thought people here might enjoy.

During covid I started jotting down memories to share with my daughter, and as I organized them I realized that many occurred during the summer of 1997.  It was a year that I first moved to Baltimore and of course the Orioles went wire to wire in first place. So what started as a walk down memory lane turned into a memoir:

Amazon.com: Wire to Wire: A South Baltimore Memoir eBook : McArdle, Patrick: Kindle Store

So far, the book has been met with a tremendous response.  It is currently the #1 new release in the Baseball Essay & Writing category on Amazon (beating out Paul O'Neill's book, which makes it all the sweeter).

It has plenty of Orioles history in there, from Mussina's near perfect game to David Dellucci's intentional walk to Jeff Reboulet homering off Randy Johnson in the Division Series. That year has always been a special one in Oriole's history.

It also is a snapshot in time of South Baltimore / Federal Hill from the perspective of middle age looking back on young adulthood.  If you know anything about the neighborhood or the old Cross Street Market, you might appreciate some of the references.  

I hope you all enjoy it!

[NashLumber]

I look forward to reading this. Thanks for sharing!

[KAZ97]

Great! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[NashLumber]

9 hours ago, KAZ97 said:

Great! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I have one and a half books ahead of me, but definitely planning to read it. Slow reader caution ahead  Just bought it on Kindle. 

[KAZ97]

Does anyone know if the team is planning a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Wire to Wire year?

[SteveA]

On 4/30/2022 at 10:34 AM, KAZ97 said:

Hello all - long time lurker, seldom time poster here.  I recently embarked on a project that I thought people here might enjoy.

During covid I started jotting down memories to share with my daughter, and as I organized them I realized that many occurred during the summer of 1997.  It was a year that I first moved to Baltimore and of course the Orioles went wire to wire in first place. So what started as a walk down memory lane turned into a memoir:

Amazon.com: Wire to Wire: A South Baltimore Memoir eBook : McArdle, Patrick: Kindle Store

So far, the book has been met with a tremendous response.  It is currently the #1 new release in the Baseball Essay & Writing category on Amazon (beating out Paul O'Neill's book, which makes it all the sweeter).

It has plenty of Orioles history in there, from Mussina's near perfect game to David Dellucci's intentional walk to Jeff Reboulet homering off Randy Johnson in the Division Series. That year has always been a special one in Oriole's history.

It also is a snapshot in time of South Baltimore / Federal Hill from the perspective of middle age looking back on young adulthood.  If you know anything about the neighborhood or the old Cross Street Market, you might appreciate some of the references.  

I hope you all enjoy it!

I used to go to the No Way Jose Cafe, Magerks, Mothers, the Merry Monk (?was that what it was called, across the alley from Now Way Jose, didn't last long?) back in those days.  And saw a few shows at 8x10.

Now I pretty much only get down that way if I'm pregaming for the Ravens, maybe at Mothers or Magerks.   Haven't been to the new Cross Street Market yet.

[KAZ97]

33 minutes ago, SteveA said:

I used to go to the No Way Jose Cafe, Magerks, Mothers, the Merry Monk (?was that what it was called, across the alley from Now Way Jose, didn't last long?) back in those days.  And saw a few shows at 8x10.

Now I pretty much only get down that way if I'm pregaming for the Ravens, maybe at Mothers or Magerks.   Haven't been to the new Cross Street Market yet.

That's great.  That sounds like a little after the timeline of the book but I'm familiar with all those old places.  

Were you able to get a copy of the book?

[SteveA]

2 minutes ago, KAZ97 said:

That's great.  That sounds like a little after the timeline of the book but I'm familiar with all those old places.  

Were you able to get a copy of the book?

Haven't had a chance yet.   I'm in the middle of another book right now, but maybe tonight I'll get yours and put it in the queue.

[Orioles4Life21]

Just ordered your book! Can’t wait to get it on Monday hopefully.

[KAZ97]

19 hours ago, Orioles4Life21 said:

Just ordered your book! Can’t wait to get it on Monday hopefully.

That's great, thanks.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[drjohnnyfeva]

Sisson's is what got me started down there in the early 90's.  First brewpub in the city.  Hugh Sisson, now of Heavy Seas, brewed some wonderful house beers that I still lament him not doing in his new digs as a revolving flashback tap.  I was lucky enough to take my oldest to the Sushi place in the market before the whole thing closed down.  Maybe 2015??  Could have been a little before that.

Anyway, good luck with the book, that was a great area to hang out in back then.  We were always there in '97 pre-gaming for the O's. Hope it's the same for the newer gen that's down there now.

[NashLumber]

On 5/18/2022 at 1:39 PM, SteveA said:

I used to go to the No Way Jose Cafe, Magerks, Mothers, the Merry Monk (?was that what it was called, across the alley from Now Way Jose, didn't last long?) back in those days.  And saw a few shows at 8x10.

Now I pretty much only get down that way if I'm pregaming for the Ravens, maybe at Mothers or Magerks.   Haven't been to the new Cross Street Market yet.

I think the 8 x 10 is where I saw Glenn Tilbrook (when Squeeze were on hiatus) and band a few years after this era. I was still fairly new to getting around in Baltimore then, outside of what was right outside of Camden Yards' gates or Pratt St. 

[SteveA]

26 minutes ago, NashLumber said:

I think the 8 x 10 is where I saw Glenn Tilbrook (when Squeeze were on hiatus) and band a few years after this era. I was still fairly new to getting around in Baltimore then, outside of what was right outside of Camden Yards' gates or Pratt St. 

Trying to remember who I saw there.  Pretty sure I saw Marah there.   Probably a couple others that now escape my memory.

[KAZ97]

5 hours ago, drjohnnyfeva said:

Sisson's is what got me started down there in the early 90's.  First brewpub in the city.  Hugh Sisson, now of Heavy Seas, brewed some wonderful house beers that I still lament him not doing in his new digs as a revolving flashback tap.  I was lucky enough to take my oldest to the Sushi place in the market before the whole thing closed down.  Maybe 2015??  Could have been a little before that.

Anyway, good luck with the book, that was a great area to hang out in back then.  We were always there in '97 pre-gaming for the O's. Hope it's the same for the newer gen that's down there now.

Yep, Sisson's on Cross St gets a shout out in the book.  The Edgar Allen Porter was all-time.

I hope you are able to get a copy of the book, might bring back some memories of the '97 team.

[drjohnnyfeva]

On 5/18/2022 at 1:39 PM, SteveA said:

I used to go to the No Way Jose Cafe, Magerks, Mothers, the Merry Monk (?was that what it was called, across the alley from Now Way Jose, didn't last long?) back in those days.  And saw a few shows at 8x10.

Now I pretty much only get down that way if I'm pregaming for the Ravens, maybe at Mothers or Magerks.   Haven't been to the new Cross Street Market yet.

When we first started going down there, just up at the end of that street with No Way Jose was a non-descript set of doors.  Opening them led you to what used to be a wonderful theatre; really ornate and pitched to the stage.  It had been converted to a batting cage...  It had about 8-10 zones/ cages.  There were a few slow pitch, maybe even a softball, and then a few others ranging from 40-90 mph cages.  Tons of fun, especially after a few Stockade Amber Ales at Sissons.