Böcker av Jeff Seidel

Baltimore Orioles: Where Have You Gone? is a unique look at what a number of former Orioles personalities have gone on to do in life since their playing careers ended. Author Jeff Seidel spoke with a wide-ranging selection of former Baltimore players, from such stars as Cal Ripken Jr. and Brooks Robinson to those who had only their “fifteen minutes” of fame, such as Dave Criscione and John Stefero. A common thread seems to be how many of the former Orioles stayed in baseball in some form, like Ripken, who started his own minor league team in Aberdeen, Maryland, something that’s clearly close to his heart; or former catcher Andy Etchebarren, a longtime minor league manager and coach.Baltimore Orioles: Where Have You Gone?, first published in 2006 and newly updated through the 2016 season, features men like Mike Flanagan, the Cy Young Award–winning lefty who anchored the Orioles pitching staff in the late ’70s and early ’80s, finally becoming the team’s pitching coach and co–general manager. The book also includes a chapter on Tommy Davis, the team’s first designated hitter, who tells how he came up with a key base hit after nearly missing his at-bat because he was talking on the clubhouse telephone; Doug DeCinces, faced with the cruel task of taking over for Brooks Robinson at third base, talking about the huge pressure he faced and how he truly appreciated playing for the Orioles; and finally the legendary Robinson himself, still a fan favorite more than 35 years after retiring, telling how he told the Chicago White Sox thanks, but no thanks, when they asked him about managing. It’s all here; perfect for any Orioles fan!

For the first decade of the 21st century, the Baltimore Orioles were perpetual cellar dwellers, with losing seasons from 1998–2011—fourteen straight years. They were the worst team in baseball when two-time American League Manager of the Year Buck Showalter took over as manager in August 2010, but they went 34-23 in the last two months of the season, and that set the tone for everything to follow.Buck, along with Andy MacPhail (president of baseball operations) and Dan Duquette (general manager), worked hard to change things in Baltimore, and the results have shown. In 2012, the Orioles went 93-69 and reached the postseason for the first time since 1997. In 2013, they fell short of the playoffs, but they still hit the most homers in the majors. They also set a new record in errorless games and fewest errors in a season. In addition, the Orioles boasted three Gold Glove winners: third baseman Manny Machado, center fielder Adam Jones, and shortstop J.J. Hardy. In 2014, after winning the AL East, they swept the Tigers in the divisional series before losing to the red-hot Royals in the American League Championship.This book details the club’s miraculous turnaround under Buck. It discusses key signings like Nelson Cruz, the quiet effectiveness of Nick Markakis, Jones’s leadership, the struggles of Chris Davis, and several other story lines from Showalter’s tenure.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.