In this extensive book, Eisenberg (Cottonbowl Days) traces the history of the modern Orioles from 1954 to the present. He captures the team's exploits at their baseball "boot camp" in Thomasville, Ga., at stadiums all over the country and at various World Series. He sketches key figures in Oriole history like Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr., and introduces lesser-known players such as Steve Dalkowski, a phenomenal pitcher with a blazing fastball who never made it to the majors. Connie Johnson and others discuss "the color line" of the 1950s and '60s. We hear extensively from willful owner Peter Angelos, who claims he's uninvolved in the team's daily life, though some managers contend otherwise. Eisenberg introduces each topic in the book and then lets the Orioles whom he interviewed do most of the actual talking. He fills in the gaps between the quotes with narrative, but much of the book is composed of long quotations from players, managers and owners. (This style, from the school of ESPN's Sportcentury
TV series and shared by Steve Delsohn's forthcoming True Blue,
seems to be the trend in sports team histories recently). The many different voices and opinions are fun and lively, but certain sections run too long, with too much grinding detail. (Apr.)
Forecast:The book is a must read for Oriole fans, who will eat up the firsthand accounts and Eisenberg's enthusiastic documentation of their team's history, and it will find a readership among hardcore baseball fans and history buffs. Others, however, will shrug their shoulders: the Yankees, the Orioles aren't.
