Youse's Orioles Win Sixth Straight Title

University of Maryland pitcher Scott Swinson won two games for Youse's Maryland Orioles to earn Most Valuable Player honors in the AAABA Tournament.  (Greg Fiume/Terps Sports Photography)

By: Keith Mills

Walter Youse would be proud. Youse was the sometimes gruff, always affable former Orioles scout and the architect of one of the country's premier amateur baseball teams -- the Leone's-Johnny's 16-19 age-group powerhouse. Youse died three years ago after 50 years of scouting and coaching in the Baltimore area, leaving the team and its immense tradition in the hands of one of his favorite players, Dean Albany.

Last weekend in Johnstown, Pa., Albany's Orioles won their 26th All American Amateur Baseball Association tournament and their sixth in a row, beating McLean, Va., 9-1, at Point Stadium. The six straight tournament wins is an All-American Amateur Baseball Association record, eclipsing the old record of five set by Youse's team from 1979-'83.

Albany was a pitcher for Youse on the 1980-81 teams and later coached under Youse when the team became the Maryland Orioles. He has continued to operate the club like a family-run business, surrounding himself with close friends on his coaching staff and having out-of-town players stay with host families who are also personal friends.

Friends like Frank and Kathy Raska of Linthicum. Frank Raska played center field on Youse's 1979 AAABA champs and made the three-hour trip to Johnstown last Saturday night to watch the finals.

Arundel coach Bernie Walter played for Youse in the early 1960s and then coached with him later. Tim Norris, an All-Metro pitcher at Archbishop Curley; Jason King, a former standout at Cardinal Gibbons; former Oriole Al Bumbry and Mike Leone form the present coaching staff. Leone's father Tony joined his brothers Vince and Dominic in sponsoring the team during the 1960s and '70s.

"This is probably the best team we've brought up here since I've had the team," said Albany, an Orioles scout whose team lost the second game of the tournament but ripped off five wins in a row to win its 26th crown.

There were many heroes. Centennial's Scott Swinson, a junior at the University of Maryland; Arundel's Tyler Hibbs, a junior at LSU; Patrick Long and Jeff Rowland of Georgia Tech; Gerard Hall of Old Dominion; Mount St. Joseph's Nick Natoli, a junior at Towson University; and Calvert Hall senior Patrick Blair led the way.

Swinson won two games and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player while Leon Landry hit two grand slams in Youse's 22-0 win over Zanesville, Ohio. He also did something alumni Kaline, Joe Torre, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays Aikens and Steve Garvey never did -- drive in 10 runs in a single game.

Hibbs, who will attend Tallahassee Community College this fall, was the tournament's batting champ, hitting .526.

Issue 3.34: August 21, 2008