Newark Bears in the Can Am League

[ACsurfan]

Heard the rumor last night during the York Revolution vs Bridgeport Bluefish game...supposedly going to happen next year or 2012.

Struggling Atlantic League teams seem to go to the Can-Am League and then they die...

RIP: Nashua Pride, Atlantic City Surf

[OttawaBallFan]

Well technically, only the Surf died. The Pride franchise is still alive as the Pittsfield Colonials (for now).

It's the Bears now? A few years ago it was Bridgeport and/or some other team. Come to think of it, I think it was Newark. As you say, rumors, until something official is announced.

It is interesting though that such a rumor would resurface now. Newark joining the Can-Am, the Pittsfield situation, Ramapo (Colonials moving there?), and Ottawa still with a small chance to rejoin the league.

Anybody know the date of the league meetings?

[OttawaBallFan]

Here's a link I found for those interested:

www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/under_new_ownership_newark_bea.html

New owners confirm having talked to the Can-Am about a move.

[QuebecCapitalesFan]

I just heard the news Newark is in the league.

Don't want to bash anybody here, but how is this going to help the league? New Jersey has 2 teams already, the jackals in the NY/NJ area, why does the Can Am League want Newark in there?

I wish they would out a few more Canadian teams in there. There's one more spot yet to be filled.

[OttawaBallFan]

Well that was fast.

How is this going to help the league? I think having a major city in the circuit is good. I mean, how many people have not heard of Newark? Pop: 278k, metro 18.8m according to Wiki although I'm not sure what metro Newark is. Surely that includes parts of NYC.

It's a way to promote the league to say the Newark NJ Bears of the Can-Am. Many surely remember the Bears when they were a minor league team. OK, not same team and decades ago but any mention of that old team and associating with this one can't be bad for the league.

It puts many teams within short distances of each other. Montclair is just 19 minutes drive away and these teams surely would have a natural rivalry. If Ramapo joins either as the eighth team or some other team moves there, three teams within 45 minutes of each other. Maybe that's the Can-Am's plan, teams close to each other.

So who is going to fill the last spot? Is Ramapo a sure thing? If so, there you go. I don't think Ottawa is a bet I'd place right now.

[BerkshireFan]

Struggling Atlantic League teams seem to go to the Can-Am League and then they die...

RIP: Nashua Pride, Atlantic City Surf

I used to live in Nashua and my family are still in that area. They went to Pride games right up to the end, but with much less regularity after the team switched leagues. Granted it's not exactly scientific polling, but I think Nashua fans got a little too used to seeing big league alumni. Sure the CanAm has the occasional Oil Can Boyd, Curtis Goodwin, or Matt White, but the AtL gets the Canseco brothers, Rickey Henderson, Casey Fossum, Felix Jose, Jose Lima, etc. etc. etc.

The sad part to me is if you take the famous names off the jerseys, 90% of the fans wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the CanAm and AtL levels of play. Obviously the AtL is the superior product, but the snobs only know that by the names, not what they see with their own eyes between the foul lines. These are the same snobs who think the NY-Penn league is a higher level of play than the CanAm when it clearly is not.

What I don't get about the Pride switching leagues is that after lopping off all of April, most of May and September, the average attendance numbers at the end of the season should have gone up. Instead they went into a decline.

I wonder if Newark would have a better chance to succeed if it had been in the CanAm/Northeast League from the outset like the Jackals who have trucked along just fine for 13 years now.

It's like the towns that've lost affiliated or AtL teams can't get over the "one that got away."

[FormerGM]

and that's what the Can-Am League office is counting on

[GUYMAN]

Attendance is pretty dismal. I have to admit I live fairly close and don't go there (I attend Jackals games). Not sure what failure in Newark might mean for the League (hopefully nothing).

I have always thought that the Can-Am and Atlantic League should merge - with NJ, Brockton, Quebec, and possible Worcester surviving in the new league. I realize it would involve the Atlantic League lowering their standards.

[GoCyclones!]

I think it's abundantly clear, and unfortunate, that it just won't work in Newark. The city still has such a negative image and it's still not very attractive around the ballpark.

Regarding a merger, there was some talk a few years back about that, but I think the Atlantic League wanted it to be a feeder league, like I think the Can-Am was trying to do with a NY State League. I think it's a great idea as teams could move guys up and down or recall someone if an injury happened or their contract got bought. I think it would actually spark more interest for all teams as I follow the Atlantic League but it would lead me to follow the Can-Am a little closer and vice versa The deal fell through unfortunately but I don't think it's out of the realm of possiblity. I've read about how some feel the league has an antiquated business model and won't be around much longer. I'm not sure exactly what the specifics of that means. But there are obviously good markets there (and some really bad ones), so if it fell it could and should be picked up by someone.

[BerkshireFan]

Regarding a merger, there was some talk a few years back about that, but I think the Atlantic League wanted it to be a feeder league, like I think the Can-Am was trying to do with a NY State League. I think it's a great idea as teams could move guys up and down or recall someone if an injury happened or their contract got bought.

Make the CanAm a feeder league and I'll never go to a CanAm game again. The casual fan probably isn't going to notice, but keep in mind what the most common question you hear from the slightly-more-than-casual-fans (that would be the Dad with wife and kids in tow - can you hear the ka-ching of the cash register). At some point that guy turns around in his seat and asks, "so who are these guys a farm team of?"

I would rather explain to him the superiority of indepedent baseball at that point than tell him, "uh, the Bridgeport Bluefish."

[Zeyes]

I don't see such a model working anyway. It works for MLB and the affiliated minors because there's a large degree of stability - how are you possibly going to handle it in indy ball with franchises popping up and going under on a yearly basis?

Well, short of making the entire lower league accessible to everyone in the higher one, similar to the agreement that exists between MLB and indy ball where any MLB club can purchase contracts from any independent club. I think that would essentially reduce the lower-level league to the status of the New York State League (which itself is kinda an indy version of the Arizona and Gulf Coast complex leagues).

[GoCyclones!]

Well, I think it could work as guys could play in the Can-Am and then get more experience and move up to the Atlantic League. I don't know the exact rules but isn't there a limit on the length of time a player can play in the Can-Am? I think it could overall make the leagues more competitive, if there was somebody that could take their spots. And there were some former Major Leaguers released that could be sent to the Can-Am. Maybe an undrafted free agent could play in the New York State League, then move up to the Can-Am and after a year or two play in the Atlantic League too. If we are guys that are independent, would it really matter if they are moving up or down?

How about a straight-up merger?