Maryland has two major league professional sports teams: the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball, and the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The Ravens (formerly the Browns) moved from Cleveland after the 1995 season, and have begun playing in a new downtown stadium near Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The NFL's Washington Redskins have begun play in a new stadium, Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, in Landover, but will still be considered a team of the District of Columbia. The Orioles won the World Series in 1966, 1970, and 1983, and American League titles in 1969, 1971, and 1979.
There are several minor league baseball teams in the state, including teams in Bowie, Frederick, Delmarva, and Hagerstown.
Ever since 1750, when the first Arabian thoroughbred horse was imported by a Maryland breeder, horse racing has been a popular state pastime. The major tracks are Pimlico (Baltimore), Bowie, and Laurel; Pimlico is the site of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of racing's Triple Crown. Harness racing is held at Ocean Downs in Ocean City; quarter-horse racing takes place at several tracks throughout the state; and several steeplechase events, including the prestigious Maryland Hunt Cup, are held annually.
In collegiate basketball, the University of Maryland won the NCAA Championship in 2002 and the National Invitation Tournament in 1972. Morgan State took the NCAA Division II title in 1974. Another major sport is lacrosse: Johns Hopkins, the Naval Academy, and the University of Maryland all have performed well in intercollegiate competition. In fact, Johns Hopkins has won the NCAA National Championship seven times, with the last title coming in 1987.
Every weekend from April to October, Marylanders compete in jousting tournaments held in four classes throughout the state. In modern jousting, designated as the official state sport, horseback riders attempt to pick up small rings with long, lancelike poles. The state championship is held in October.
Babe Ruth, perhaps the greatest baseball player to ever play the game, was one of many star athletes to be born in the state.