First published 2025
Earl Weaver took over the Baltimore Orioles in 1968 when managers were still viewed as inspirational coaches rather than strategic masterminds. Miller chronicles how Weaver revolutionized the sport by collecting and analyzing performance data decades before the Moneyball era. The Earl of Baltimore prioritized on-base percentage, defensive excellence, and pitching precision while becoming the first manager to use radar guns for analytical purposes. His bold decision to move tall Cal Ripken Jr. to shortstop opened doors for future oversized stars like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. Weaver's theatrical confrontations with umpires entertained crowds as he ripped bases from the ground and staged fake heart attacks. His volatile relationship with pitcher Jim Palmer created clubhouse drama that somehow fueled success. The Orioles captured American League pennants in 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1979 under his leadership, winning over 100 games each season. Miller traces Weaver's journey from his St. Louis childhood with a mobster uncle through minor league struggles to Hall of Fame induction in 1996.
Genres: history, 20th-century, business, biography-memoir, baseball, american-history
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: maverick, underdog
Setting: Baltimore, Orioles
Period: 1960s, 1970s
368 pages · Hardcover · Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster