NEWARK BEARS:
The 2012 Regular Season Draws To A Close This Afternoon. What Happens Next Is Any Body's Guess.
Autumn is almost upon us, and the Bears are still looking a little thin around the ribs. Labor Day signals the end to yet another summer of scarcity in Newark. Beyond the Fall, a hard, cold winter awaits. And hibernating on a half filled tummy is not the ideal situation.
You know the old adage - Baseball mirrors Life, and Life mirrors Baseball. There are hard cold realities in both. Where real life is concerned, there are only two types of Bears on the planet that matter - the living, and the dead. With regards to the realities of baseball business, that means being operational, or defunct. In either case, it is one thing to live, and something wholly other to survive.
To live is to play, and forage on opposing pitchers. The dead quietly and too often anonymously just fade from memory. With any luck, someone might recall them in a school book or something as a long lost species who similarly bit the dust like 99% of all life on the planet before them. That's being rough. I know. But such is the life of the resilient urban Brick City Bear.
Around this time last year, by their own word the owners were hopeful of turning a profit this season. I wonder how that went for them. Upon completion of their second season in full control, and considering the state in which their former partner/owner allegedly left the team, it's still not right to dump a fan's perspective regarding years of negligence on their laps. There's been too much negative news emanating out of Bear and Eagles Riverfront Stadium over the last three years (plus) already. On the outside, it is hard to tell how much, if any, progress the club made this season. I just hope the new couple in charge made at least some strides, however large or small, towards turning the club's fortunes and image around.
I'll say this much for those in attendance against the Worcester Tornadoes. The six-hundred or so cubs per game they've gotten over the last two days, are probably the same six-hundred die hard fans who've been there since Opening Day. Chalk one up for consistency. To you, that hardcore group of fans - nice job! I sincerely hope to see you again next season. For now however, another season is done. Monday, September 3rd, the 2012 CanAm season comes to a close.
On Labor Day, the Newark Bears will play their one hundredth, and last game of the regular season. Do not underestimate the significance of that last line. Quite obviously, teams that can not financially afford to complete their schedules negatively impact the entire league. In a five team circuit already downsized from years past, compromising the integrity of the schedule, and the possible domino effect is very troublesome to other organizations of the CanAm League. In the past, this league has been unfairly tagged as a circuit where teams go to die. The Nashua Pride and Atlantic City Surf are two of the more commonly known teams which have gone extinct. The Newark Bears are A) - eerily, and B) - perilously, walking in the same base paths their former Atlantic League brethren once did.
Relative to today's CanAm dilemma, the long struggling Pittsfield Colonials prematurely ended operations last season. And lest we forget, the Brockton Rox did not participate this season. Although, they claim they will be back.
The situation involving the Worcester Tornadoes just took everything a step further; and I do mean a drastic step further. It was only a short time ago this summer when everything from the players equipment to the club's office furniture was in threat of being trucked-off into the night if someone didn't satisfy a court order, and immediately pay some grossly overdue bills before the umpire called Play Ball! I do not believe the Bears' situation is as dire. So here's to waking up next Spring in relatively good shape.
After today's game, join me for one last game recap.
Mike.BTB
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