In an effort to become your full-service Orioles blog, I present my inaugural book review.

The title I’m going to critique is the recently released, The Orioles Encyclopedia: A Half Century Of History And Highlights.The Orioles Encyclopedia, written by Michael Gesker (The Johns Hopkins University Press), is a mammoth 896 page tome dedicated to all that is Orioles and Orioles related.

The first part of the book chronicles each season the O’s have played, beginning with the 1953 season, the last the Browns played in St. Louis, through the most recent 2008 campaign. Each season’s section contains an essay summarizing the Orioles performance, followed by a slew of statistical data pertinent to that season.

The next section of the book focuses on the players who have played for the team. Nearly 400 players are profiled alphabetically, with a brief biography accompanying each player who’s had some impact on the teams history.

Sections featuring managers, coaches, owners, and front office personnel follow, as well as features on the ballparks the team has played in, and stories about “characters” who have played a unique role in Orioles history.

The remaining sections of the book deal with a plethora of oddball stats and lists relating to the team.

Its all brought together by several hundred photographs taken throughout the 55 year history of the team. Many of the photographs are truly stunning, especially the 16 pages of color photos that seem to bring the past to life.

In my opinion, The Orioles Encyclopedia is the best book there is pertaining to the history of the Orioles, and believe me, I think I’ve read them all, or all that I’m aware of. A must for any O’s fan, and a great read for anyone who loves baseball in general.

I’m glad I have my copy, and if you’re a dedicated O’s fan, you should get yours too. It’s a little expensive, so shop around for a good price. I was able to save over $20 off of the list price by purchasing it online.