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Skipper Supreme: Buck Showalter and the Baltimore Orioles
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 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.
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 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.
- GenresBaseball
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 1, 2026
I will always have nostalgia for the Showalter era Orioles. I could live 1000 years and still remember the feelings I had during the 2012 - 2016 Orioles seasons. That being said, I would have liked this book better if it was written well after Showalter left and looking back on his strengths and weaknesses. This book is simply too bright-eyed, almost to the point of it being painful. The Todd Karpovich did not know at the time how our playoff window would end. I remember feeling exactly as he did knowing a championship was right there within grasp, but I also know the sad eventual truth of the matter.
I think if you are a Showalter fan, or a die hard Orioles fan, you might as well take this one for a spin. For everyone else, it will probably read as fanfare.
I think if you are a Showalter fan, or a die hard Orioles fan, you might as well take this one for a spin. For everyone else, it will probably read as fanfare.
September 11, 2021
Easy Read
First and foremost: Jeff Seidel: Rest in Peace, my friend!
This was an easy read. Many memories were folded in these pages! Buck was - and is - a natural leader, and the team obviously thrived! Friends and I often commented how much he resembles Earl Weaver (in physical appearance).
Odd thing about this book: you don't have to read it in chapter order. Many chapters stand on their own, and could be sequenced in any way you chose. That makes for a different sense of entertainment.
Unfortunately, there are several typographical errors that likely occurred when the book was translated to Kindle format.
First and foremost: Jeff Seidel: Rest in Peace, my friend!
This was an easy read. Many memories were folded in these pages! Buck was - and is - a natural leader, and the team obviously thrived! Friends and I often commented how much he resembles Earl Weaver (in physical appearance).
Odd thing about this book: you don't have to read it in chapter order. Many chapters stand on their own, and could be sequenced in any way you chose. That makes for a different sense of entertainment.
Unfortunately, there are several typographical errors that likely occurred when the book was translated to Kindle format.
July 12, 2026
No Depth
I learned nothing about the team, the players, the front office or Buck Showalter that I couldn’t have gotten from reading newspaper articles about them. This book pales in comparison to other’s that focus on a season with a team. There was zero depth to this book. No exploration of Showalter’s life, career or anything that shaped him as a person, player or manager.
I learned nothing about the team, the players, the front office or Buck Showalter that I couldn’t have gotten from reading newspaper articles about them. This book pales in comparison to other’s that focus on a season with a team. There was zero depth to this book. No exploration of Showalter’s life, career or anything that shaped him as a person, player or manager.
September 8, 2020
Not as detailed as I would have liked
Chumps to Champs was much more detailed about his time with the Yankees. This book did relay how Showalter cared about his players especially during interviews.
Chumps to Champs was much more detailed about his time with the Yankees. This book did relay how Showalter cared about his players especially during interviews.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews