John Eisenberg

There Were Birds in Yuma As the Orioles plow through spring training in Sarasota, it’s startling to look back at what they endured 72 years ago in their inaugural spring season, which took place a long way from Baltimore. The Orioles had no say in the location of their inaugural spring training camp. Before Bill Veeck sold the St. Louis […]

There Were Birds in Yuma #Orioles

Am reading "From 33rd Street to Camden Yards," the O's oral history by @johneisenberg.bsky.social and it is great

One thing that really comes through - from Robin Roberts & Jim Palmer, George Kell & Brooks, Lee May & Eddie - was the commitment to pairing young future stars with old pro mentors

Terrell Suggs with John Eisenberg

🚨NEW EP: TERRELL SUGGS🚨 POF welcomes @johneisenberg.bsky.social to discuss the career and HOF candidacy of Terrell Suggs. We cover:

🏈 2011 NFL AP DPOY Season
🏈 Suggs vs. Ben Roethlisberger
👑 Tackles For Loss King
🏈 Top OLBs of 21st Century
open.spotify.com/episode/4rsj...

If a receiver can catch a pass in the end zone and take three steps while in possession of the ball and the TD is overturned, the rule has been way overthought.

American Soccer Abroad - Promo YouTube video by Nathaniel Scott Stevens

Soccer is a global sport. Its center of gravity is arguably the UK and the Premier League.

Join the Povich Center in January 2026 as we explore the expanding role of Americans in the sport in the UK and around the world in the run up to World Cup ‘26.

Apply here:
myea.umd.edu/index.cfm?Fu...

Beyond delighted to see Baltimore Magazine praise my work on the Bird Tapes, my Orioles history project on Substack, in the 2025 “Best of Baltimore” issue.

Bird Tapes Podcast: "He Wouldn't Even Say 'Welcome to the F**king Team.'" Among the many subjects and stories he recounts In Part 2 of his classic interview, Orioles Hall of Famer Bobby Grich chronicles the testy start of his relationship with Earl Weaver.

New Bird Tapes post: In Part 2 of a classic interview, Bobby Grich, 76, dives into what it was like to play for Earl Weaver (spoiler: not easy) and other topics such as whether he belongs in the Hall of Fame - a longshot notion that has recently gained steam.

birdtapes.substack.com/p/bird-tapes...

The Time I Asked Mike Mussina a Really Dumb Question A protective screen on the field? During games? One of my newspaper readers was so convinced it should happen that I lost my mind and asked a future Hall of Famer if it made sense.

I interviewed Mike Mussina, a future Hall of Fame enshrinee, countless times when he was the Orioles’ ace in the ‘90s. My latest post at the Bird Tapes recalls the events that led me to ask him a question I knew was utterly ridiculous.

birdtapes.substack.com/p/the-time-i...

Classic Card: Billy Hitchcock, 1967 His brief shot at managing the Orioles was a disaster, but even that couldn't turn the courtly Southerner's smile into a frown.

ICYMI: My latest post at the Bird Tapes recalls a managerial hiring the Orioles botched in the early ‘60s. “The inmates were running the asylum,” one player told me years later.
birdtapes.substack.com/p/classic-ca...

Thank you!

Bird Tapes 2025: An Interview with Jon Miller (Part 1) In our recent interview, the legendary broadcaster spoke at length, and with keen insight, on Earl, Eddie, Cal, EBW, 0-21, Jeffrey Maier, the importance of Camden Yards and, yes, his departure.

New at the Bird Tapes: Part 1 of my recent interview with Jon Miller, the legendary broadcaster who ruled in Baltimore in the ‘80s and ‘90s. He discusses Earl, Eddie, Cal, EBW, 0-21, Jeffrey Maier, his departure for SF and much more. It's a riveting history lesson.

open.substack.com/pub/birdtape...

Classic Card: Gene Brabender, 1968 A mammoth pitcher, he posted solid numbers for the Orioles over three seasons in the 1960s. But his larger-than-life persona and one-of-a-kind antics were more memorable than his pitching.

My latest at the Bird Tapes: Remembering the Orioles' Paul Bunyan, a gigantic farm boy from Wisconsin whose one-of-a-kind persona and antics were more memorable than his pitching.

open.substack.com/pub/birdtape...

Bird Tapes 2025: An interview with Fred Lynn A nine-time All-Star, he battled the Earl Weaver-era Orioles for a decade before joining them with the idea of playing behind their stellar pitching. But his timing was unfortunate.

New at the Bird Tapes: My conversation with Fred Lynn, a nine-time All-Star who is recalled as a Red Sox star but also played for the Orioles from 1985-88. He signed with them because he wanted to play behind their stellar pitching. But his timing was unfortunate.
open.substack.com/pub/birdtape...

Spirit of '66: Moe Drabowsky Born in Poland, he was a World Series star and perhaps baseball's greatest-ever prankster. The post includes my narration of a feature article I wrote about him after I interviewed him years ago.

New at the Bird Tapes: A kid once wrote to Moe Drabowsky that “baseball needs more nuts like you.” Indeed. The one-and-only Moe is remembered today as the game's greatest-ever practical joker, but he was also a World Series hero for the Orioles.

open.substack.com/pub/birdtape...

(2)

How the Oriole Way continues to shape baseball, check out my biography of Harry Dalton, @jmjournalist.bsky.social best selling bio of the Earl of Baltimore, and subscribe to the Bird Tapes on Substack.

#Birdland

www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-La...

@johneisenberg.bsky.social has a great interview up on the Bird Tapes with former #Orioles GM and Dalton Gang member and my friend Dan Duquette.

Dan has a great sense of the Orioles history and a wonderful understanding of the modern game.

If you want more on Dalton, Earl Weaver, and (1)

I didn't know about this. Thanks for passing it along, very interesting and enlightening.

Introducing Bird Tapes 2025 In Year Two of my one-of-a-kind exploration of Orioles history, I'll post new interviews with legendary players, broadcasters and beat writers. And I'll continue to find new angles to write about.

As a new baseball season nears, a new season of the Bird Tapes begins! In Year 2 of my Orioles history project, I’ll post new interviews with legendary former players, broadcasters and beat writers, and continue to explore the club’s history. Check it out!

birdtapes.substack.com/p/introducin...

Book Review: “The Last Manager,” by John W. Miller The famous Baltimore Orioles manager gets a vivid new biography, the book equivalent of “a screaming triple into the left field corner.”

Probably only one day in my life when I wake up to a rave review of my book in the New York Times and that day is today.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/b...

Isn’t this when the lights go out?

A lot, alas. Like who is going to win the Super Bowl.

The Orioles' First Black Player Unlocked for all subscribers: Commemorating Black History Month, here's the story of the obscure pitcher who integrated the Orioles. Post includes my narration of my Baltimore Sun article about him.

My latest at the Bird Tapes: Commemorating Black History Month, here’s the story of the obscure pitcher who integrated the Baltimore Orioles.

birdtapes.substack.com/p/the-oriole...

Looking forward to this!

Lost Voices: Bobby Grich He lived up to his billing as a first-round draft pick, playing at a high-level in the major leagues for 17 years. But when free agency gave him more control over his career, he left the Orioles.

My latest at the Bird Tapes: If Bobby Grich had come a long just a few years earlier, he would have spent his entire career with the Orioles - and what a fine career it was. But free agency came along, and he left Baltimore.

birdtapes.substack.com/p/lost-voice...

The Legend of All Legends So many former teammates told tales about Steve Dalkowski that I devoted an entire chapter to him in my Orioles history book even though he never played for the Orioles.

My latest at the Bird Tapes: Recalling the greatest mythological figure in the history of the Baltimore Orioles. No one threw harder or lived harder than Steve Dalkowski.

birdtapes.substack.com/p/the-legend...

A hard-to-top favorite, for sure. He was just so genuine, as you know.

From the Archive: My Hall of Fame Fact-Checker When Brooks Robinson passed away last year at age 86, it seemed everyone had a story about their interactions with him. This is mine.

Now up at the Bird Tapes: Remembering when Brooks Robinson fact-checked my book on the Orioles.

birdtapes.substack.com/p/from-the-a...

The Baseball Cards I Don’t Need When I dug into my collection from decades ago, searching for Orioles cards to use here at the Bird Tapes, I discovered that I had cornered the market on cards of a couple of long-forgotten Birds.

My latest at the Bird Tapes: When I went through my decades-old baseball card collection, searching for Orioles to use to illustrate posts at the Bird Tapes, I discovered I had pretty much cornered the market on the cards of a couple of long-forgotten Birds.
birdtapes.substack.com/p/the-baseba...

Final Voting in the Bird Tapes Holiday Gift Contest One vintage interview from my archive will be unlocked and available to all subscribers on Monday, December 23. Last week, voters selected five finalists. Now it's time to pick a winner.

You’ve got until Saturday to vote in the finals of the Bird Tapes Holiday Gift Contest. On Monday 12/23 I’’ll post my interview with either Jim Palmer, Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson or Mike Flanagan — depending on who prevails in the voting.
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From the Bird Tapes, at BaltimoreBaseball.com