What’s Next For the Newark Bears?
By Joe McDonald on October 26, 2008
In these tough economic times it’s not unusual for businesses to close.
The Atlantic League is no exception.
After Friday’s stunning announcement that the Newark Bears will cease operations, the Atlantic League and the city of Newark will have to make some tough decisions.
Right now, there are no Newark Bears. Owner Marc Berson it was time to shut the doors rather than lose money next season. Newark is one of the weaker teams in the Atlantic League in terms of attendance, averaging 2,764 a game in 2008, the second lowest on the circuit. It may not get better next year in the current economic climate.
Yet that doesn’t mean Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium will be dark next season. It is possible for the other Atlantic League owners to come in and buy the Bears from Berson. Ducks owner Frank Boulton just bought the Bridgeport Bluefish to keep them afloat and it’s not out of the question for the Bears to get a bailout as well.
In the Newark’s case, the other Atlantic League owners may chip in and each own a piece of the team until a new owner is found. Of course they have to meet Berson’s asking price which may be harder than it seems. According to one Atlantic League official, there are some hard feeling between Berson and the other owners, which contributed to Friday’s move.
If that doesn’t work, the city of Newark may look elsewhere. With an empty stadium comes opportunity and another league may come in to Newark. The Can-Am League – where former Atlantic League teams, the Atlantic City Surf and Nashua Pride, found homes – may be interested in fielding a team. A deal will have to be made with Essex County and Berson, who still owns the rights to the stadium.
As for the Atlantic League, the Bear move won’t hurt the league in the long run. Over the past few seasons, it has been shedding its weaker teams in favor of expansion in stronger markets. The Road Warrior format can return for the 2008 season if a replacement franchise is not found.
Also the league can move the All-Star Game, which was scheduled for Newark, to another market such as Long Island, which is set to host the game in 2010.
The biggest losers in this whole debacle are the full-time Bear employees who will be forced to find jobs in a very tough economic environment.
Just remember it’s still very early in the off-season, so there is still time to resolve this situation and have some sort of professional baseball in Newark for the 2009 season.
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