NEWARK BEARS ~ Beware! Bear Traps Abound

From the desk of:  GROWLING IN BROOKLYN

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S CUP CHALLENGE:

New Jersey Jackals

vs.

NEWARK BEARS

From Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium

BRICK CITY

Tuesday Night Final:

Jackals   4

BEARS  8

NEWARK BEARS:  No Respect In The Booth Is No Problem On The Field!


"Growling In Brooklyn" just found it's cause.


Grrr!


The New Jersey Jackals were winners of their last three coming into tonight's game against the Bears as the Essex County Challenge resumed in Newark tonight.  For the Bears' part, they just completed a five game sweep against the New York Federals over the weekend.


I listened to the Jackals' game feed and heard their announcer offering up a huge slice of homer-pie.  All he did was complain about how there was no one in the park; how the PA system was set too loudly for so few people; how, because of the way center field is situated in Riverfront Stadium to take advantage of the NYC skyline view, it means the sun sets directly behind home plate interfering with the center fielder's vision; and it seemed as if he went on and on and on....   So the fact the Bears were leading 4-2 after five innings pleased me very much.


And I think what happened is I felt this new rivalry juice me up tonight for the first time.  After a day at the park like I spent Monday in Newark, I didn't appreciate the Jackals' announcer going on ad-nausea with his criticisms of the Bears' situation. 


And so, it's on Guys!  New Jersey Jackals be warned; the new rival of the Newark Bears is my rival too.


As a matter of fact, I was put off earlier by the same kind of nonsense when I was listening to the first game of a double-header between the Quebec Capitales and the Brockton Rox.  In between games, the gentleman handling the microphone took a call.  Eventually, he and the caller got to talking about the Newark Bears.  Imagine that?  But it was the Brockton announcer who was guilty of most of the disparagement over the state of baseball in Newark.  The gentleman didn't believe the city/area was capable of supporting the team and generally had less than kind words to say regarding the Bears; especially when compared to his home town Brockton Rox.


This CanAm League sure is one tough circuit, huh?  It's rough being the new club in the League I guess.  Inhospitable receptions, blistering observations, and misguided perceptions seem to be ruling the 'net with anti-Bear bias today.  Good I say!  It'll just make the rest of the season that much more fun for me, especially when we play New Jersey and Brockton.


In the course of me putting together this post, New Jersey tied the Bears at four apiece in their top half of the sixth inning.  And long ago in this game, my favorite broadcaster of the day started his dissertation about how good the Jackal's bullpen was and bragging about how they were running a streak of 14.2 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.  That is, until is got snapped today.


Into the Jackals bullpen the Bears went, like a bull through a china shop.  Kyle LaMotta led off the home sixth with a walk.  He promptly got caught stealing 1-3-6 for the first out.  Tim Raines Jr. who was 5 for 5 today, doubled.  The next batter, Daryle Ward followed with another double scoring Raines.  Danny Santiesteban then singled to drive in Ward from second.  Burt Reynolds capped off the Bears scoring for the inning when he tripled to left, scoring Danny all the way from first.


The Bears added one more in the seventh for good measure when Tim Raines Jr. collected his fifth hit of the afternoon; another RBI double scoring Brandon Watson to make the score 8-4 Bears.


And that was the way this contest ended; with New Jersey losing.  Does a loss to the Bears make a sound if no one is around to hear it?


Hey Mr. Jackal announcer guy, can you hear me now?


Atta boy Bears!





Mike.BTB