Despite some bad weather, the Newark Bears drew over 10,000 fans to two games this past weekend, as a new ownership group works to drum up interest in baseball at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.Despite some bad weather, the Newark Bears (independent; Atlantic League) drew over 10,000 fans to two games this past weekend, as a new ownership group works to drum up interest in baseball at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
The Bears pulled out the stops opening night, bringing in former secretary of state Colin Powell to throw out the first pitch and Patti LaBelle to sing the National Anthem. And while that was enough flash for the team to get a lot of initial press coverage, the real work lies ahead. Baseball has never flourished at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, with the previous owners relying on signings like Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco, but the latest attempt ended up in bankruptcy court.
The new owners are corporate attorney Jim Wankmiller, former Bears GM Tom Cetnar and J.G. Wentworth investment firm founder Gary Veloric. Their game plan: market more to the Newark comunity and bring in lots of concerts and other events.
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