Editing Newark Bears (section)

===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]].