2010 Coverage and Stats (August 26th, 2010)
Our coverage for the 2010 National Tournament has been moved off the homepage. Please click on the banner above ("Click here for coverage") to see all of the coverage including news articles, game recaps, and the final brackets.
The photo galleries are still in the works but will hopefully be online before Monday.
Player statistics will hopefully be posted before the end of the month.
We weren't able to get all of the historic data online before the tournament this season, so check back periodically for more archived information.
The Johnstown Experience (August 26th, 2010)
For members of AAABA teams, the national tournament in Johnstown is one of the biggest highlights of their baseball careers. When asked about the experience, players, coaches, and fans alike regularly mention the caliber of competition between the teams, the large crowds who attend the games, and the hospitality and enthusiasm of the local fans as their greatest memories. This year was another great tournament both on and off the field, and it was reflected in the words of the participants:
Chris Pfiel
Chris Delsignore (Johnstown manager)
"It's good baseball all the way around. We get to see good teams from all around the country. It's a really good experience for these kids. When they're old and gray, they'll look back on these experiences."
Chris Pfiel (Flood City manager)
"My favorite part of the tournament is the young kids who come to the stadium and look up to these players like major leaguers. The look on their faces when they get a souvenir makes it all worth while."
Billy Babin (New Orleans manager)
"I'm a born and raised New Orleaners and this tradition is as big as any tradition. When Joe asked me to coach, I was probably more excited than the kids because I know what it means."
Dale Gray (Toledo manager)
"We love coming here."
Christopher O'Grady (Baltimore pitcher)
"It's great. This is my first year on the team, but I know the team looks forward to it each year."
Bill Kirchner (Cleveland manager)
"We understand that it's a prestigious tournament. We've been told a lot about it and we're looking forward to playing."
Mike LeViseur
Bobby Gibbons (Maryland State manager)
"We're just hoping to come up here and show these players a great tournament and give them a great experience."
Chuck Righetti (Buffalo manager)
"Everyone of the players in Buffalo knows about this. We didn't have to do anything to get them ready."
Tim Norris (Baltimore manager)
"On the first day in May we talk to them about Johnstown. It's something we all look forward to."
Francis Brooke (Baltimore pitcher, Tournament MVP)
"Coming up here is a lot of fun. You get to play a lot of different teams."
Bruce Domineck
Robert Amaro (Baltimore player, nephew of Reuben Amaro, Jr.)
"It really enjoyed my time. Staying in the dorms was a great time, and just being with my friends."
Matt Donaldson (Johnstown catcher)
"The atmosphere was overwhelming. We rode the crowd in the last couple innings."
Tom Hansen (Livonia pitcher)
"It was my first time playing in front of a crowd like this. It was a little nerve-wracking."
Bruce Domineck (Columbus manager)
"It was an outstanding experience. I've been coaching for 37 years and I've been to all the other tournaments, but they do it in grand style here in Johnstown. These three days will be memorable for these players and we'll earmark our calendar to comeback next year."
Mike Schultz (Chicago-Metro manager)
"It's been incredible. Coach Joe Heller has been telling them stories about what it was like when we came out here a few years ago. They almost didn't believe him but everything exceeded expectations. It's been a blast."
 Chris Coon (left) and Bill Meyers (third from left) |
Not everyone who participates in the AAABA is playing to win. For the officiating crews who oversee the games, their Johnstown experience is as special as it is for the players.
Umpires Bill Meyers and Chris Coon were part of the crew selected to officiate the championship game between Johnstown and Baltimore. Meyers--who now lives in Hanover, PA--has been umpiring in the national tournament for four years.
"A few years ago they were in a little bit of a bind and they needed some help, so I came up and worked a couple games with their local crews," said Meyers, whose brother is an umpire in Johnstown. "After a couple games, they asked me if I could bring my own crew and come in and work just the Johnstown games. They were impressed with the work we had been doing, so they have me bring a crew in each year now."
Chris Coon from Mechanicsburg, PA is a member of that crew and this was his first trip to the national tournament.
"We work hard to get up here," said Coon of the selection process for Meyer's umpires. "It's not a gift. We've got to earn it." Coon's work on the diamond earned him the trip to Johnstown and he was very proud of the honor.
"It's a great atmosphere. The stadium is great, the players are professional, the coaches are professional, and it's great ball," he said.
"It's good baseball," agreed Meyers. "In all honesty, good baseball is easier to work. You just come up, settle in, and enjoy the experience. It's as good for us as it is for the coaches and the players."
The fans had plenty of great action to enjoy this year, too. Johnstown teams won 5 games, including Delweld's opening night thrashing of Cleveland, Martella's 10-6 comeback win against New Brunswick, and Delweld exploding for 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th to defeat Livonia. Altoona and New Brunswick battled into the 13th inning at Arcurio Field, New Orleans walked-off a close win against Flood City, Chicago and Toledo battled in a close 3-1 elimination game, and New York's Astros trailing 9-0 after five innings, but rallying for 14 runs over the final three innings, only to fall to New Orleans 19-14.
In the end, one of the better championship games in tournament history saw Baltimore grab another title. While Johnstown was shutout in both games against the Orioles, the close 4-0 affair in the final was a much better showing than the 19-0 final score from 2003.
Here are a few more sidelights photos from this year's national tournament. We hope everyone who came out to the games had a memorable and enjoyable time!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
AAABA looking to expand (August 26th, 2010)
For the past decade, it has seemed that the AAABA was in the doldrums. Big Four franchise Detroit last competed in 1994, and Washington's sporadic participation was capped with a late drop-out in 2009 followed by the cancelling of the Clark Griffith League season. Milford has not returned in years, and the promising Beckley Bash franchise was disbanded due to financial problems. No new teams were added and the ones that remained proved to be little competition for the powerhouses of Baltimore and New Orleans.
But now, the tide appears to be turning for the AAABA. First, the Johnstown Oldtimers, promoters of the tournament, have been helped financially by a decade of strong Johnstown teams that have kept attendance high throughout much of the week.
"The
tournament was great," said Johnstown Oldtimers president George Arcurio, III.
"The Opening Night was the first one in five years that we didn't either get
rained out or lose the crowd because of rain, so that makes a big difference."
This past year, a second Johnstown franchise was approved for competition,
further helping the Oldtimers cover the costs of housing and feeding sixteen
teams.
"With two Johnstown teams in here, that was probably one of the biggest attractions we had for the week, and I’m hoping they keep it that way because people get to see more local kids and that’s what it’s all about around here," said Arcurio.
Second, several new teams and franchises have recently joined the AAABA, increasing the competition and adding more talent to the field. After 11 years of stagnation, the Cleveland franchise was resurrected in 2006 by the Allegheny Athletics, and finished 2-2 with wins against Livonia and Brooklyn.
 Miami |
In 2009, the Lake Erie Monarchs from Toledo, Ohio were added as a new franchise and swept the Zanesville Regional. In their first national tournament appearance, the Monarchs were 3-2 and are now 5-4 overall, including a win over then-defending champion New Orleans. The independent Matrix brought New Brunswick back to Johnstown in fine style, finishing 2nd to New Orleans with a 5-2 record in 2008.
This year, Miami's Florida Bombers were added with much fanfare and proved to be a strong club with an impressive (although runner-up) regional performance. Their failure to qualify for the national tournament this season will surely harden their resolve in 2011.
"Miami and Toledo are two of the top teams and they're going to be competitive in the future," said Arcurio.
Chicago's Glen Ellyn Jam were runners-up in 2006 but folded shortly thereafter, leaving the Chicago-Metro franchise without a representative in 2009. However, the Des Plaines Patriots so impressed franchise representative Len DiForte during their inaugural, championship season that he brought them to Johnstown. The Patriots survived until Friday with a 3-2 record.
 Toledo |
In addition to the strong performances from these new clubs, several existing franchises have improved in both talent and performance. Johnstown has won 36 games in the past ten years, including several championship appearances. In comparison, Johnstown had only 10 wins in the 70s, 15 wins in the 80's and 22 wins in the 90s. Philadelphia--now represented by the Bandits--have proven a strong club each year. They were runners-up in 1998 and finished third in 2008. This year, after winning the Altoona Regional, the Bandits finished 4th in Johnstown. Livonia and Brooklyn have continued to have strong showings, as well.
Interest in the AAABA is growing around the country, according to Arcurio, who said they have received a lot of inquiries about franchise memberships.
"The tournament is picking back up again," said Arcurio. "We're hoping to hit 30 franchises in the very near future."
One of those franchises that appears likely to return is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A team from Pittsburgh--the Allegheny Athletics--represented the Cleveland franchise in 2006, but the Steel City has not had a franchise in Johnstown since their 0-2 tournament in 1986. The Beechview Merchants entry in 1965 won the national tournament with two wins against both Washington and Detroit.
Arcurio mentioned another southern franchise that is interested in joining, but since they are still in the beginning stages of inquiries, the city is not yet begin announced. The Detroit and Milford franchises have laid dormant but have not yet been abandoned, as they await new teams to carry their banners.
Certainly,
many people will point out that--even with improved talent and competition--the
same two teams continue to win every year. It should be noted, however, that
only 3 of the past 13 champions have gone undefeated. Baltimore suffered 6
losses during their 6 consecutive championships and were in danger of being
eliminated in 28 of their 36 games.
Finally, the national tournament has seen a recent surge in web presence thanks to several new websites. Tyler Scheuerman, of the famous New Orleans family, has taken over as webmaster of the official AAABA website, giving the association an official voice online. This includes not only an updated home page, but also a group on Facebook. Rex Morgart has begun to upload his extensive collection of historic AAABA records, as well as continuing to expand to his display of trading cards of AAABA alumni. And of course, we here at AAABATournament.com will continue to provide summer-long coverage of the tournament and its teams. During the tournament week this year, our site received nearly 600,000 views from nearly 12,000 visitors including a high of 94,000 views on Tuesday. Thanks for your support!
Next year promises to be another good year for the AAABA. Johnstown's teams are strong and eager and the emerging contenders from Toledo, New Brunswick, Miami and Chicago now all have tournament experience. While Baltimore and New Orleans will continue to be the favorites, there appears to be much more competition on the horizon. But while more teams are heading to the diamonds, George Arcurio reminds us that fans need to continue heading to the stands in order to keep the AAABA alive.
"So long as the people keep supporting this tournament, we're going to be here," said Arcurio. "We've lost too many good sporting teams and events in Johnstown, so we've got to keep pushing away to keep the AAABA here."
