Editing Newark Bears (section)

==History of Newark baseball==

{{Further|Newark Bears (1926-1949)}}

Newark was the home of several former minor league baseball teams, from the formation of the Newark Indians in 1902 and the addition of the [[Newark Eagles]] of the [[Negro National League (1933-1948)|Negro National League]] in 1936. A Federal League team, the [[Newark Peppers]], also played in 1915.

The original Newark Bears were a team in the [[International League]] from 1926 to 1949.  They played their home games at the former [[Ruppert Stadium (Newark)|Ruppert Stadium]] in what is now known as the [[Ironbound]] section of Newark.

===The Bears of the Atlantic League===

The Newark Bears are named for the former Newark Bears team of the International League.  The new team was formed in 1998 by former [[New York Yankees]] catcher [[Rick Cerone]], a Newark native. However, the Bears played their "home" schedule at [[The Ballpark at Harbor Yard]] in [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]] that season while awaiting the completion of their new home field. In addition, the Bears played several home games during the first half of the 1999 season at [[Skylands Park]] in [[Augusta, New Jersey|Augusta]]. The Bears inaugurated their new park, [[Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium]], in Newark on July 16, 1999.

Over the years, the Bears attracted star talent to their club.  [[Ozzie Canseco]] played for the Bears in 2000 and 2001, and his brother [[José Canseco]] was with the team for part of 2001 as well.  [[Rickey Henderson]] played the first half of the 2003 season with the Bears and was named Most Valuable Player in the Atlantic League All-Star Game. He was subsequently signed by the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] but was released at season's end, and he returned to the Bears for 2004. Also in 2003, the late [[José Lima]] pitched for the Bears at the beginning of the season; after the [[Kansas City Royals]] signed him away from Newark, Lima won his first seven decisions for the Royals.<ref>{{cite web | title=Jose Lima Statistics - Transactions | work=baseballreference.com | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/l/limajo01.shtml#TRANS | access-date=July 11, 2006}}</ref>

Other notable alumni included [[Edgardo Alfonzo]], [[Billy Ashley]], [[Armando Benítez]], [[Wes Chamberlain]], [[Carl Everett]], [[Keith Foulke]], [[Jay Gibbons]], [[Brian Giles]], [[Pete Incaviglia]], [[Lance Johnson]], [[Jacque Jones]], [[Jim Leyritz]], [[Ramiro Mendoza]], [[Hensley Meulens]], [[Jamie Navarro]], [[Alonzo Powell]], [[Scott Spiezio]], [[Daryle Ward]], [[Scott Williamson]] and [[Craig Worthington]].

===Rescue from bankruptcy and possible demise===

The Newark Bears, under former owner Marc Berson, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 24, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bears declare bankruptcy |work=atlanticleaguebaseball.com |url=http://albnews.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html |access-date=November 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708022248/http://albnews.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html |archive-date=July 8, 2011 }}</ref>  The team's existence was almost compromised until the Bases Loaded Group, LLC purchased the team, guaranteeing a $1 million line of credit to the Atlantic League.   The Bases Loaded Group consisted of executives from [[Philadelphia]] and [[New Jersey]], some hailing from Newark.  The primary leader of the group was Tom Cetnar, former General Manager of the Bears in 2001. He served as president and was a member of the ownership group.

===Move to the Can-Am League===

The Newark Bears joined the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball on October 6, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballparkdigest.com/201010063169/independent-baseball/news/its-official-bears-to-can-am-association|title=It's official: Bears to Can-Am Association|date=October 6, 2010|website=BallParkDigest.com|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref> The Bears were one of three teams to join the league for the 2011 season, with the traveling New York Federals and the expansion [[Rockland Boulders]]. Newark was originally to be one of three cities to represent New Jersey in the Can-Am League along with Little Falls, home of the [[New Jersey Jackals]], and Augusta, home of the [[Sussex Skyhawks]]. The Skyhawks, however, elected to stop operating after the 2010 season.

In 2010, the Newark Bears were purchased by New Jersey radiologist Dr. Douglas Spiel and his partner, Danielle Dronet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/2011/07/newark_bears_ownership_changes.html|title=Newark Bears ownership changes hands once again|date=July 7, 2011}}</ref>

The Can-Am League announced on November 28, 2013, the Newark Bears would not operate in 2014, with the remaining four teams now a division in the American Association.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200222/http://www.canamleague.com/cgi-bin/dist/news_new.cgi?id=1385609943 CAN-AM LEAGUE TO PLAY AS DIVISION OF AMERICAN ASSOCIATION IN 2014]}}</ref>  An auction for the team's assets was held on April 26, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2014/04/newark_bears_officially_out_of_business_as_baseball_fades_from_city_again.html|title=Game over: Newark Bears officially out of business, as baseball fades from city again|website=NJ.com|date=April 27, 2014|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref>