History of the All-American Amateur Baseball Association


In 1944 Glen L. Martin of Baltimore, MD gathered representatives from ten  major cities across the eastern part of the United States to form an organization called the AAABA (pronounced 'Triple A-B-A') whose goal would be devoted to the promotion of amateur baseball. Mr. Martin backed his idea with his own money in the early years and, his upon his death in December 1955, he provided a substantial bequest to perpetuate the organization.


Initially the amateur tournament was to be held for two divisions of play. A Junior division which was geared for teenagers, deemed the "Limited Division" and an open amateurs or an "Unlimited Division". The best of twenty-four teams from the North and South East Coast competed in the opening series in Baltimore, MD. September 7-12, 1944 with Baltimore winning the tournament that first year. In later years as the tournament grew the competition would focus on the younger level of play and became a limited baseball tournament to showcase  young amateur players.


The AAABA held its games in the city of Johnstown during August 22-26, 1945, when the city won a bid to host the tournament. And  in 1946, the AAABA was moved to Harrisburg, PA., for they received that years bid to host the games.


The birth of the AAABA tournament coincided with a rebirth of the Johnstown Oldtimers Baseball Association. Created in the 1930's by retired players of baseball to propagate the sport, and meet regularly to discuss baseball and to reminisce about old times. Walter W. Krebs, then editor of the Tribune Democrat newspaper and George S. Cooper, the sports editor for the company, attended an Oldtimers meeting in 1946. At this meeting, Cooper suggested that the AAABA be moved back to the city of Johnstown. Cooper's suggestions were readily accepted by the Oldtimers . The plan was set in motion by Krebs and he would underwrite the expense to bring back the tournament with Cooper at the helm. Thus in 1947 Johnstown would see the return of this sporting event. That started a relationship that has continued for 60 years between the Oldtimers and the AAABA and city of Johnstown. In 1993 the All American Amateur Baseball Association Board of Directors made Johnstown the official permanent home of the AAABA Tournament.


After an early brief sojourn the tournament has only been moved outside of Johnstown one time in the history of the playoffs. In 1977 a third catastrophic flood ripped through the heart of  Johnstown and would send the AAABA tournament games to the city of Altoona, PA. Although Johnstown was and continued to be the official host site and the Oldtimers the official sponsors, the games had to be played in Altoona due to the damage done to the city.


The AAABA has continued to be held each year in Johnstown for 63 of it's 65 years because of the efforts of the Oldtimers Association. They continue to find ways to pay for  these tournaments every year and  to provide the funds to pay for housing, food, and transportation for the players and coaches. And because of the fan support, people who have never watched a sandlot amateur game come back year after year to participate in the AAABA tournament. Baseball fans whose fathers brought them to the games now bring their children and grandchildren to carry on the tradition of the AAABA Tournaments.