Sports in Baltimore facts for kids

Baltimore, Maryland, has a really cool sports history with lots of teams from different times. Fans here are super passionate and love to remember the famous sports stars who played in the city or were born here.

One of the most famous sports in Baltimore is horse racing. The Preakness Stakes is a big horse race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. It happens every May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. People sometimes call it "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" because the winner gets a blanket of these flowers, which are Maryland's state flower! The Preakness is the second part of horse racing's Triple Crown series. The horse that wins the Kentucky Derby usually comes to race here too.

Top Professional Teams

Baltimore is home to two major league sports teams:

• Baltimore Orioles – They play Major League Baseball and have been around since 1954.
• Baltimore Ravens – They play in the National Football League and started in 1996.

Other Awesome Teams

Besides the big leagues, Baltimore has many other exciting professional and top-level amateur teams:

• Baltimore Blast – This team plays indoor soccer in the Major Arena Soccer League. They've been playing since 1992.
• Baltimore Nighthawks – This is a women's football team in the Independent Women's Football League. They started in 2008.
• Baltimore Dockers – This team plays Australian rules football in the United States Australian Football League. They joined in 2017.
• Maryland Whipsnakes – This lacrosse team joined the Premier Lacrosse League in 2024.

The Baltimore Bohemians were a soccer team that started in 2011. They did really well in 2013, scoring lots of goals and making it to the playoffs. They took a break from playing in 2017.

In 2018, FC Baltimore started playing soccer in the National Premier Soccer League. They won their conference in their first year! They even had a huge 13–0 win. In 2019, they almost made it to the league finals. Baltimore City F.C. is another local soccer club that plays in Cherry Hill.

The Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team plays at the 1st Mariner Arena. They started in 1992 as the Baltimore Spirit and changed their name in 1998. The Blast have won nine league championships since 2001, which is amazing! They joined the MASL in 2014. The Baltimore Kings, a team linked to the Blast, also started playing in 2022.

Baltimore also has two women's American football teams: the Baltimore Burn (started 2001) and the Baltimore Nighthawks (started 2007). Both teams play at Art Modell Field.

Teams That Moved or No Longer Play

Baltimore has been home to many teams over the years that have either moved to other cities or stopped playing.

Baseball Teams of the Past

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a famous baseball stadium in Baltimore.

• Baltimore Black Sox – Played in the Eastern Colored League from 1923 to 1928.
• Baltimore Elite Giants – Played in the Negro National League (the second) from 1938 to 1948.
• Baltimore Monumentals – Played in the Union Association in 1884.
• Baltimore Orioles (19th century) – An early Orioles team that played from 1882 to 1899.
• Baltimore Orioles – This team played in the American League from 1901 to 1902. They later moved to New York and became the New York Yankees!
• Baltimore Orioles – A minor league team that played for many years before the current Orioles arrived.
• Baltimore Terrapins – Played in the Federal League from 1914 to 1915.

Football Teams of the Past

• Baltimore Stallions – This team joined the Canadian Football League in 1994. They were very successful, even winning the Grey Cup in 1995. They were the only U.S. team to ever win it! They later moved to Montreal.
• Baltimore Stars – Played in the United States Football League in 1985.
• Baltimore Colts – A famous NFL team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983.
• Baltimore Colts – An earlier version of the Colts that played from 1947 to 1950.
• Baltimore Blackbirds – Played in the American Indoor Football Association in 2007.
• Baltimore Mariners – This indoor football team played from 2008 to 2010. They won the AIFA championship in 2010 with a perfect season. The team later stopped playing due to problems with its owner.
• Baltimore Brigade – Played in the Arena Football League from 2017 to 2019.

Basketball Teams of the Past

• Baltimore Bullets (1944–1954) – Played in the NBA from 1947 to 1954.
• Baltimore Shuckers – Played in various leagues from 2011 to 2020.
• Baltimore Bullets – Another NBA team that played from 1963 to 1973.
• Baltimore Claws – Played in the ABA in 1975.
• Baltimore Lightning – Played in the CBA from 1985 to 1986.
• Baltimore Bayrunners – Played in the IBL from 1999 to 2000.
• Baltimore Pearls – Played in the ABA from 2005 to 2007.

Soccer Teams of the Past

• Baltimore Bays – Played in the NASL from 1967 to 1969.
• Baltimore Blast – An earlier indoor soccer team that played from 1980 to 1992.
• Baltimore Blast – This team played in different indoor soccer leagues from 1992 to 2014.
• Baltimore Comets – Played in the NASL from 1974 to 1976.
• Crystal Palace Baltimore – Played in the USL Second Division from 2006 to 2010.

Ice Hockey Teams of the Past

• Baltimore Hockey League – An early league from 1896 to 1898.
• Baltimore Blades – Played in the WHA in 1975.
• Baltimore Bandits – Played in the AHL from 1995 to 1997.
• Baltimore Clippers – Played in various leagues from 1962 to 1977.
• Baltimore Skipjacks – Played in the AHL and ACHL from 1981 to 1993. They later moved to Portland, Maine.

Softball Teams of the Past

• Baltimore Monuments – Played in a professional slow-pitch league in 1977.

Lacrosse Teams of the Past

• Baltimore Tribe – Played in the American Lacrosse League in 1988.
• Baltimore Thunder – Played indoor lacrosse from 1987 to 1999. They later moved to other cities.
• Baltimore Bayhawks – Played in Major League Lacrosse from 2001 to 2006. They moved for a bit but came back to the Baltimore area.
• Maryland Whipsnakes – This team is now part of the Premier Lacrosse League.

Major League Championships

Baltimore teams have won some amazing championships!

Baltimore Orioles (MLB)

They have won the World Series 3 times:

• 1966
• 1970
• 1983

Baltimore Orioles: 19th Century (MLB)

This older Orioles team won 2 titles before the World Series began:

• 1896
• 1897

Baltimore Bullets (NBA)

They won 1 NBA Finals title:

• 1948

Baltimore Colts (NFL)

They won 2 NFL championships before the Super Bowl started:

• 1958
• 1959

And 1 Super Bowl title:

• 1970 (V)

Baltimore Ravens (NFL)

They have won 2 Super Bowl titles:

• 2000 (XXXV)
• 2012 (XLVII)

Baltimore Stallions (CFL)

They won 1 Grey Cup title:

• 1995

Baltimore Mariners (AIFA)

They won 1 AIFA Championship Bowl title:

• 2010 AIFA Championship Bowl IV

College Teams

Baltimore also has many college sports teams that compete in different divisions.

Division I Teams

In Baltimore City:

• Coppin State Eagles
• Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (Their men's and women's lacrosse teams are Division I)
• Loyola Greyhounds
• Morgan State Bears

In Baltimore County:

• Towson Tigers, located in Towson
• UMBC Retrievers, located in Catonsville

Division III Teams

In Baltimore City:

• Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (Most of their sports are Division III)
• Notre Dame Gators

In Baltimore County:

• Goucher Gophers, located in Towson
• Stevenson Mustangs, located in Owings Mills

Cool Sports Events in Baltimore

Baltimore has hosted many exciting sports events over the years:

• Army–Navy Game: This famous college football game has been played here many times, including in 2000, 2007, 2014, and 2016.
• City-Poly football game: A long-running high school football rivalry since 1889!
• Crab Bowl Classic (Maryland–Navy football game): Another college football game played here several times.
• Day of Rivals, college lacrosse double-header: A big lacrosse event since 2009.
• Face-Off Classic, college lacrosse double-header: Another popular lacrosse event since 2007.
• NBA All-Star Game: Baltimore hosted this big basketball game in 1969.
• NCAA Division I men's lacrosse championship: The college lacrosse championship has been held here many times.
• NCAA Division II men's lacrosse championship: Also hosted here several times.
• NCAA Division III men's lacrosse championship: This championship has also been held in Baltimore many times.

Fun Traditions and Lore

Baltimore sports fans have some unique traditions!

When you go to a Baltimore Ravens game, it's a tradition to tap the shoe of the statue of Johnny Unitas. He was a famous quarterback for the Baltimore Colts. People do this for good luck!

At Orioles or Ravens games, when the national anthem plays, fans emphasize the word "oh" in the line "oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave." This is a way to show support for the Orioles, who are often called the "O's." It also honors that the anthem was written in Baltimore during the War of 1812. Some people outside Baltimore think this is a bit disrespectful, but it's a strong local tradition.

Baltimore fans love to give nicknames to sports figures and big moments. For example, baseball player Chris Davis was called "Crush Davis" after his amazing 2013 season. And when Nelson Cruz made a big play, fans would chant his last name for a long time! The Ravens' playoff game against the Broncos in 2012, where Joe Flacco threw a long pass for a touchdown, has several nicknames like the "Mile High Miracle." This play helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII!

When the Orioles do something amazing, especially when they come back from a tough situation, fans call it "Orioles Magic." This term became popular after a thrilling home run in 1979 that made fans cheer wildly.

Eating Esskay hot dogs and drinking National Bohemian beer are old traditions at Baltimore sports events, especially at Orioles games. People often call National Bohemian beer "Natty Boh."

The term "Birdland" is often used to describe the loyal fans of both the Ravens and the Orioles. The Orioles' TV network, MASN, helped make this term popular.

The song "Seven Nation Army" has become the official pump-up song for the Ravens. It was first played at their opening game in 2011 and has been played at every home game since. You can often hear it at Orioles games too, especially when the Ravens score a touchdown or the Orioles hit a home run!