| Games | Record | Win% | RF | RA | Diff | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 351 | 263 | - | 88 | 0.749 | 2836 | 1589 | +1247 |
|
About Baltimore
No other AAABA franchise is as successful as the club from Baltimore. Their 28 national championships are over double that of the next highest total (New Orleans with 13). They have competed in every season and qualified for all but 3 tournaments, competing in and winning the most games (259 of 345) of any team. During those games, Baltimore has outscored opponents by 1,242 combined runs. They also hold the record for most wins in a single tournaments (8) from the expanded 1989 tournament.
The Baltimore franchise is a charter member of the AAABA and won its first championship in 1946 while represented by the Boys Brigade. In 1956, Walter Youse switched his Leone's Cafe squad from the Maryland State franchise to the Baltimore franchise. Since then, Youse's team has represented Baltimore every year and continues to receive support from the Leone family.
After 4 champions under the Leone's Cafe banner, the sponsorship changed to Johnny's Auto Sales in 1973. Johnny's won 13 championships in 19 years from 1973 through 1991, including a record 5 consecutively from 1979 to 1983. The team was 94-14 during that stretch and missed only the 1975 tournament.
In 1992, Corrigan Insurance sponsored the Youse team and picked up 2 more championships in 1993 and 1996 under Norman Gilden. In 1999, Dean Albany took over managing duties for the newly named Youse's Maryland Orioles, but failed to advance out of the Altoona regional. The next three seasons saw top 3 finishes for the Orioles, but no championships thanks in large part to New Orleans Boosters who won 4 games against the Orioles in those 3 years (Washington and Johnstown won the other two).
By 2003, the Orioles slipped out of the gate with a surprising loss to newcomer Beckley, West Virginia. Facing an elimination game on only the second day, the Orioles went to work at the plate and outscored opponents 50-17 over the next 5 games. Playing against host Johnstown before a sold out Point Stadium, the Orioles put 7 runs on the board in the first half inning and trounced host Johnstown 19-0 to win the championship.
Over the next 5 seasons, the Orioles tettered on the brink of elimination as they carried 2-1 records into the fourth day on 4 occasions. The Youse club suffered 1 loss in each tournament, but still managed to win a record 6 consecutive championships. They outscored opponents by 170 runs.
In 2009, another coaching change put Tim Norris in charge of the Orioles, and like his predecessor, his first time failed to escape the regional. In 2010, the team responded in a big way by sweeping to their 27th national championship. They allowed only 6 runs in 6 games, with 4 runs coming from New Orleans in the first inning on Friday afternoon. The Orioles rallied for 4 in the 6th to take the lead and advance to the final where they defeated Johnstown 4-0.
Last season, the Orioles again went undefeated in 6 games and ended 4 games in mercy rules, including both games of their Wednesday double-header. In six separate innings they tallied 5 or more runs, including a wild 12-run 7th against New Orleans.
Currently, the Orioles have won 8 of the past 10 tournaments. They had an 18-game national tournament winning streak broken on day 2 of last year's tournament with a loss to Livonia. The franchise's record is 19 consecutive national tournament wins.