From 33rd Street to the Camden Yards: An Oral History of the Baltimore Orioles

I'm a new Orioles fan, having finally had enough of the high salaries and toxic ownership of my native New York Yankees. Committed to giving my devotion to another storied francise, the Baltimore Orioles, I sought to learn everything I could about my newly adopted team. This book is as comprehensive an Orioles history as I've found. At only 500 pages it may be a little too condensed for some Baltimore devotees, but all the significant events in O's history are covered - from the team's inception to its salad days in the late 60s and early 70s; from talented rookies like Steve Dalkowsi (who never made the bigs) to talented veterans like Cal Ripken (who did). The early player development of Paul Richards. The amazing defensive play of Brooks Robinson, the greatest third baseman ever. The owners - Jerry Hoffberger, EBW, Eli Jacobs, and Peter Angelos. Earl Weaver and Cal Senior. Reggie's year in Baltimore. The remarkable farm system and the "Oriole Way." Memorial Stadium and the building of Camden Yards. World Series seasons and sub-500 years. It's all here, told by the players and front office personnel who lived it. Maybe a more "complete" history will be written someday, but presently this is the best Orioles book to get. Also check out the similarly titled Ted Patterson book, "Baltimore Orioles: From 33rd Street to Camden Yards," which is almost as comprehensive and features a lot more pictures.

This is a great history lesson of the Baltimore Orioles that was easier than I accepted to read. The book is more from the prospective of the past players, coaches & owners than from the author and gives a "real" look into the times of the Orioles beginning after the move from St. Louis, to the glory days of the 60's & 70's to the downward spirial of the late 80's and thru the up's and downs of the 90's. Also, the author gives us how the "Oriole Way" was developed. Awesome detail and some funny passages. I would recommend, even to the non-Oriole fan such as myself.

This is a good read if you are a baseball fan. It becomes a very good read if one is a Baltimore Oriole fan. And, if one is an Oriole fan old enough to remember the early days it is simply excellent.The oral history told by those who made that history is just wonderful. Mr. Eisenberg has captured some great stories as the history of a once great franchise unfolds.The memories are spectacular as we hear from the franchise superstars and the lesser known role players over 46 years. This is story telling at its best. One is reminded of so many players that were part of O's story...and they truly come to life.The human side comes out as well and we are reminded of just how great a franchise it was and how it got that way. It should be required reading for every member of the current Oriole organization...they could learn something.I too was amazed that Chuck Thomson and Jon Miller were not interviewed and that Bill O'Donnell not mentioned...they were the voices that we all knew.

I received this book as a birthday present and from the first few glances, I was intrigued. I have read many Oriole books in the past, but none that really told me what had happened. You see, I am 27 now and the first thing I can remember is winning the world series in 1983. So, there is about 300 pages of stories and information that are totally new to me. From the standpoint of a fan who wants to learn more about how the Orioles became what they are in Baltimore this was a very interesting book. John Eisenberg gives a list of the players he interviewed and a short two lines about them. This was extremely useful to me and I refered back to it often. As the previous reviewer said, I was surprised that Chuck Thompson and also John Miller were not included in the interviewed group, but I'm sure Eisenberg couldn't interview everyone. From an Oriole's fan perspective, this was an interesting book to read, to learn about how the team got to Baltimore and the different phases of development to the present team. If these things don't interest you then definately skip this book. But I found it to be quite interesting and truly enhanced by the short blurbs from the people who Eisenberg interviewed.

John Eisenberg let it be known that a real history of the Orioles could not be related in one volume, even at five hundred pages. But, considering that most folks wouldn't read (much less buy) a ten volume set, Eisenberg has offered a terrific alternative. This truly is an oral history. Eisenberg guides us through the history of one of the winningest franchises in baseball history without getting in the way of the story. Virtually every key figure from the Orioles' past is represented here. You'll enjoy hearing from not only the Robinsons (Brooks and Frank), but also from players whose names you have probably forgotten, like Tom Phoebus and Joe Durham. Even Eddie Murray adds his memories to Eisenberg's story. It appears that the players, managers, and others who made their living from baseball, want to be sure to get their two cents into the Orioles' only true book of record. Is anyone missing? One does wonder how a history of Baltimore baseball could be complete without a word from or about Hall of Fame broadcaster Chuck Thompson. He appears to be the only missing link in a comprehensive look back at Baltimore's baseball heritage.