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100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
This guide to all things Baltimore Oriole covers the team's history as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, including the incredible legacy of Cal Ripken, Jr., memories from Memorial Stadium, and how singing "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the seventh-inning stretch has become a fan-favorite tradition. Author Dan Connolly has collected every essential piece of Orioles knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, providing an entertaining and enlightening read for any Oriole fan.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 25, 2016
I've been an Orioles fan for over 45 years and wasn't sure if this book would be a pedestrian, fluff read. While I was familiar with many of the stories, figures, stats and games, Connolly held my interest with other stories that were new to me. In my opinion, his 100 things are comprehensive - I didn't feel like he had left anything out. The funny part is that I had two encounters with Orioles trainer Ralph Salvon. One was at the first game I ever went to in 1969, when he handed me a baseball. Then, 14 years later, I saw him on the street and told him that story. I was a little surprised that he was not mentioned in the book until I got to the very last page.
A must for hardcore and casual Orioles' fans.
A must for hardcore and casual Orioles' fans.
January 21, 2016
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a dyed-in-the-wool Orioles fan, from the mid-70's to now. I thought I knew a lot about my favorite team, however, after reading this book, there's so much more to this team than I was even aware of! I truly enjoyed reading stories about my favorite players and other interesting facts. This is a MUST read for any Orioles fan!
March 19, 2022
I grew up outside Boston—a Red Sox fan. Through and through. Started in the Yaz era. Jim Lonborg. George Scott. Sparky Lyle. Tony Conigliario. Reggie Smith. The heartbreaking 1967 World Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Even as a kid, instant dislike for the Yankees. Of course. It’s the way you’re raised in Boston. In fact, dislike for the Yankees meant it was okay to consider other rivals in a somewhat positive light. As I looked around the American League back then, one team I always kind of liked was The Baltimore Orioles. Brooks Robinson. Frank Robinson. Boog Powell. Jim Palmer. Dave McNally. They seemed kind of classy, even when feisty and combative Earl Weaver took over from Hank Bauer.
Just mentioning those Red Sox and Orioles names brings it all back. And that’s sort of the point of 100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Dan Connolly.
First, what a great idea. Second, every baseball franchise should have a book along these lines. And, third, this isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake—Connolly is a great storyteller.
And, fourth, Connolly is a cheater. There are far more than “100 things” in here. Some chapters are lists! Chapter 75, “Colorful Characters,” is 13 more players with “eccentric personalities” from Todd Cruz to Moe Drabowsky. Chapter 88, “Fan Favorites,” lists 20 players who had “a strong connection with the fans” from Harold Baines to Andy Etchebarren. And then there’s the same with “Cult Heroes” (Chapter 96) and “Villains” (Chapter 97). So Connolly’s counting skills are dubious, but his writing makes up for his math challenges in spades. So does his attention to detail.
The point is this book is a highlight reel of the Orioles franchise—classic moments, legendary players, unusual situations, key games, big hits, winning streaks, failures, bumpy seasons, big-time records, notable trades, colorful atmosphere from Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, moments of shame, and those odd, remarkable moments that are one of many reasons that baseball quirkiness makes it such a compelling sport. Connolly’s sweep takes big-picture views of various seasons and isn’t afraid to take a few shots at managers and owners.
A few favorite chapters:
One: Gregg Olson and the Why Not? Season (#33). In which a scrappy, unlikely team that was coming off a 107-loss season, missed winning the AL East by one game. Connolly’s chapter follows the drafting of Auburn University reliever Gregg Olson by what was then the “laughingstock” of baseball. The 1989 Orioles were a “consensus pick” for last place in the AL East but on opening day Cal Ripken Jr. smashed a three-run homer to beat the Red Sox and their ace, Roger Clemens. Orioles win, 5-4, and headed into a season when they would win 87 games, often led by reliever Olson. Connolly’s details on the weird ending series in Toronto is terrific.
Two: Brady Anderson (#43). IN 1996, Brady Anderson hit 50 homeruns—the Orioles’ highwater mark. It was something Frank Robinson never did. Or Eddie Murray. Or Boog Powell. And so on. Anderson’s previous high was 21 home runs. He never hit more than 24 in a season after 1996. Connolly does a great job of profiling Anderson in a few short pages and takes the issue of performance enhancing drugs straight on and tells the harrowing story that Anderson played much of the season with appendicitis.
Three: The End of the Streak (#67). Like many of the Orioles’ big stars, Cal Ripken Jr. pops up often through the book, but this chapter is devoted to the Ripken’s decision to end his streak of consecutive games played at the home game finale of the 1998 season. Game number 2,632. Ripken wanted the end to be “festive, happy.” In front of the hometown fans. Connolly’s details are colorful, especially around the career of the player who replaced him that day—Ryan Minor.
The book isn’t all games and players. Connolly looks at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, writes about Boog’s Barbecue, covers the controversial “reign” of Peter Angelos, and doesn’t shy away from the low-point games and seasons. Connolly knows the power of meaningful details.
Sifting through Orioles’ history in search of 100 “things” could not have been easy. Some characters, seasons, players, and moments might be obvious. But not all. The point is that reading about a favorite team brings it all back. Orioles fans have plenty of memories to savor in these pages.
The 2022 Orioles are projected to finish dead last in the AL East. It’s likely going to be a long season (and not a repeat of 1989). Fans might consider keeping Connolly’s book handy for a reminder of all the ups and downs.
Even as a kid, instant dislike for the Yankees. Of course. It’s the way you’re raised in Boston. In fact, dislike for the Yankees meant it was okay to consider other rivals in a somewhat positive light. As I looked around the American League back then, one team I always kind of liked was The Baltimore Orioles. Brooks Robinson. Frank Robinson. Boog Powell. Jim Palmer. Dave McNally. They seemed kind of classy, even when feisty and combative Earl Weaver took over from Hank Bauer.
Just mentioning those Red Sox and Orioles names brings it all back. And that’s sort of the point of 100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Dan Connolly.
First, what a great idea. Second, every baseball franchise should have a book along these lines. And, third, this isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake—Connolly is a great storyteller.
And, fourth, Connolly is a cheater. There are far more than “100 things” in here. Some chapters are lists! Chapter 75, “Colorful Characters,” is 13 more players with “eccentric personalities” from Todd Cruz to Moe Drabowsky. Chapter 88, “Fan Favorites,” lists 20 players who had “a strong connection with the fans” from Harold Baines to Andy Etchebarren. And then there’s the same with “Cult Heroes” (Chapter 96) and “Villains” (Chapter 97). So Connolly’s counting skills are dubious, but his writing makes up for his math challenges in spades. So does his attention to detail.
The point is this book is a highlight reel of the Orioles franchise—classic moments, legendary players, unusual situations, key games, big hits, winning streaks, failures, bumpy seasons, big-time records, notable trades, colorful atmosphere from Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, moments of shame, and those odd, remarkable moments that are one of many reasons that baseball quirkiness makes it such a compelling sport. Connolly’s sweep takes big-picture views of various seasons and isn’t afraid to take a few shots at managers and owners.
A few favorite chapters:
One: Gregg Olson and the Why Not? Season (#33). In which a scrappy, unlikely team that was coming off a 107-loss season, missed winning the AL East by one game. Connolly’s chapter follows the drafting of Auburn University reliever Gregg Olson by what was then the “laughingstock” of baseball. The 1989 Orioles were a “consensus pick” for last place in the AL East but on opening day Cal Ripken Jr. smashed a three-run homer to beat the Red Sox and their ace, Roger Clemens. Orioles win, 5-4, and headed into a season when they would win 87 games, often led by reliever Olson. Connolly’s details on the weird ending series in Toronto is terrific.
Two: Brady Anderson (#43). IN 1996, Brady Anderson hit 50 homeruns—the Orioles’ highwater mark. It was something Frank Robinson never did. Or Eddie Murray. Or Boog Powell. And so on. Anderson’s previous high was 21 home runs. He never hit more than 24 in a season after 1996. Connolly does a great job of profiling Anderson in a few short pages and takes the issue of performance enhancing drugs straight on and tells the harrowing story that Anderson played much of the season with appendicitis.
Three: The End of the Streak (#67). Like many of the Orioles’ big stars, Cal Ripken Jr. pops up often through the book, but this chapter is devoted to the Ripken’s decision to end his streak of consecutive games played at the home game finale of the 1998 season. Game number 2,632. Ripken wanted the end to be “festive, happy.” In front of the hometown fans. Connolly’s details are colorful, especially around the career of the player who replaced him that day—Ryan Minor.
The book isn’t all games and players. Connolly looks at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, writes about Boog’s Barbecue, covers the controversial “reign” of Peter Angelos, and doesn’t shy away from the low-point games and seasons. Connolly knows the power of meaningful details.
Sifting through Orioles’ history in search of 100 “things” could not have been easy. Some characters, seasons, players, and moments might be obvious. But not all. The point is that reading about a favorite team brings it all back. Orioles fans have plenty of memories to savor in these pages.
The 2022 Orioles are projected to finish dead last in the AL East. It’s likely going to be a long season (and not a repeat of 1989). Fans might consider keeping Connolly’s book handy for a reminder of all the ups and downs.
December 22, 2023
Solid overview of the key Os players and customs associated with reigning AL East Champions. There is a long and storied history. From Brooks Robinson to Cal Ripken Jr, this work covers the greats. It talks about the World Series winning teams, the teams that came so close…and the teams that didn’t exactly play all that well (see the 1988 team that started 0-21). The work cuts off in 2014, so it won’t cover the recent decade, from the nightmare of the game played in an empty stadium due to the Freddie Gray riots, the worst stretch in Os history, but also the rebuild that is set to potentially yield incredible results in the years ahead. While the Os are not my ride or die team, they are growing on me, so a book like this is good to help educate those wanting to learn more about the team.
April 28, 2020
I love these kind of books. As many books I've read and stories I've heard about the Orioles, there is always something new. This book had plenty of that, the classic stories and characters, as well as some things I didn't know or had never heard. Recommended for O's fans.
March 28, 2021
Lots of great stories and information in here. Dan Connolly is an excellent writer, and is extremely knowledgeable about the Orioles.
Only gave 4/5 stars because some of the information became very repetitive at times because a lot of it overlaps.
Still, tons of great information and numbers.
Only gave 4/5 stars because some of the information became very repetitive at times because a lot of it overlaps.
Still, tons of great information and numbers.
October 4, 2021
An excellent read. Short chapters that captivate you and breakdown the history and incredible moments of the Orioles.
May 15, 2015
A must-read for O's fans!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews