2007 Atlantic League Champions Newark Bears

2007 Newark Bears Choice Team Set

In 2007, the Newark Bears defeated the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League Championship Series three games to one to claim their franchise’s second league championship.

In the final game of the series, Newark exploded for 13 runs, six of them driven in by Jose Herrera. Herrera had a game for the ages as he connected with three homeruns in this final game securing himself the Championship’s Most Valuable Player award.  

Managed by former 8-year MLB veteran Wayne Krenchicki, the 2007 Newark Bears had a formidable offense that carried them into the postseason. Newark had three of the top four leaders in league batting average on their roster (Victor Rodriguez .365, Jose Herrera .357, Ramon Castro .343) who contributed to their team as a whole having over a .300 batting average for the season. From the power side, six position players on their roster finished in double-digit homeruns; Keith Reed and Javier Colina both having more than twenty.

2007-named Atlantic League All-Stars Bobby Brownlie (8-4; 3.41) and Gary Knotts (7-5; 2.65 ERA) brought Newark consistency to the from the mound side throughout the season.

Victor Rodriguez - 2004 & 2007 Atlantic League Player of the Year

(L.) Autographed 2004 Somerset Patriot Multi-Ad Team Set (MVP Card)

(C.)Autographed 2007 Somerset Patriots 10th-Anniversary Legacy Choice Promotional Card #14 

(R.) Autographed 2007 Newark Bear Choice Team Set #23 (MVP Card)

Only one Atlantic League player has been able to win two Player of the Year Awards. That player, is Victor Rodriguez.

In 2004, on his way to the Atlantic League Player of the Year, Rodriguez slugged 25 home runs with 111 RBI’s and a .592 league-leading slugging average while playing 3rd base for the Somerset Patriots.  With this, Rodriguez also set the single-season Atlantic League batting average record of .371 that still stands today.

In 2007, while donning a Newark Bear uniform, as 1B/DH Rodriguez once again tore up the league batting .365 with a .550 slugging percentage.  For his efforts, Rodriguez was named Atlantic League co-Player of the Year (Jesse Hoorelbeke/Bridgeport). 

That year, Rodriguez's Newark Bears were Atlantic League Champions beating Somerset bringing the trophy to Newark for their second time in team history (2002).  

Atlantic League fans were fortunate to see Rodriguez play for many of their hometown teams.

From 2004 to 2010, Rodriguez played for five different towns: Somerset (2004), Newark (2006/07/10), Long Island (2009), York (2010) and Bridgeport (2010). 

Rodriguez retired in 2010 leaving the Atlantic League with a .334 lifetime average and a slugging average of .514 to help the League remember his dominance.

Joe Gannon - 2008 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year

(L.) Autographed 2008 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Updated Choice Team Set #2 (Ptch/YR Card)

(C.) Autographed 2009 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Choice Team Set #05

(R.) Autographed 2011 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs DAV Team Set #306

Yielding from Buffalo, New York, knuckleball-pitcher Joe Gannon was a fixture in the Atlantic League for 10 seasons (2004-09/2011-14). The Canisius College alumnus spent time with the Newark Bears (2004-06), Nashua Pride (2005/07), Somerset Patriots (2005), Lancaster Barnstormers (2012); eventually retiring from six seasons with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (2008/09-2011/14).

Achieving the Triple-A level with the Baltimore Orioles, the right-hander announced his entrance to the league in 2004, by becoming only the second man in Atlantic League history (Rod Henderson -2001) to throw a no-hitter while on the mound for Newark (August 17, 2004). The no hitter was preserved by future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson's pair of outstanding catches in the outfield in both the eighth and ninth innings at TD Bank Ballpark against the Somerset Patriots.

In 2008, Gannon had his best Atlantic League season, leading the league in complete games (8) and earned run average (3.17) while securing a personal record of 12-6. His season and efforts were recognized with the Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Award.

Currently, Joe Gannon ranks fourth across many Atlantic League career pitching records including Innings Pitched (853.2), Wins (47) and strikeouts (479).

Bill Madlock - 4X NL Batting Champ & Newark Bears Manager

Autographed 2004 Newark Bears Choice Team Set #27
Autographed Atlantic League Baseball Inscribed "Newark Bears MGR 2003-04"

With a major league career batting average of .305 and four National League Batting Championships (1975,1976, 1981 and 1983) to his name, Bill Madlock became the 3rd manager of the Atlantic League’s Newark Bears taking the helm for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Nicknamed “Mad Dog” for his ability to get riled up with umpires, Madlock’s two-year managerial tenure saw some of the most recognizable MLB names in Atlantic League history on his rosters including Jamie Navarro, Jose Lima and the 44-year-old All-Time Stolen Base King Rickey Henderson.

Madlock quibbed about having the elite base stealer on his Bear’s teams, ”I had the greatest base stealer in the world those years, and if you don’t believe me you can ask him yourself and he will tell you the same thing…”

Jimmy Hurst - 2002 Atlantic League Player of the Year

(L) Autographed 2001 Nashua Price WMUR9 Team Set
(R) 2002 Newark Bears Choice Team Set (MVP Card)

Out of Butch Hobson’s hometown of Tuscaloosa, AL, Jimmy Hurst was drafted in the 12^th round of the 1990 Amateur Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

With a professional baseball career that spanned seventeen seasons reaching the Triple-A level with four different organizations and the major leagues in 1997 with the Detroit Tigers, the 6’6” power-hitting outfielder landed in the Atlantic League with Hobson’s Nashua Pride in 2001, but it would be his second year in the league with Newark that would be his season for the record books.

2002 could not have been a more perfect season for Hurst or more of a monster year. Hurst led the league in hits (150), home runs (35), RBI’s (100), total bases (288), batting average (.341) and slugging percentage (.655) while playing in only 113 games on his way to becoming the Atlantic League’s first ever Triple Crown winner.  Hurst’s slugging average mark that year still stands as the Atlantic League single-season record. It was only a formality that Hurst was to be named the 2002 Atlantic League Player of the Year.

In the post season that year, Hurst continued his perfect season, leading his Newark Bears to their first league Championship ever sweeping the Bridgeport Bluefish and being named the championship series MVP as well. 

Ozzie Canseco - 2000 Atlantic League Player of the Year

Autographed 2000 Newark Bears Team Set (MVP Card)

Drafted as pitcher by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1983 MLB Amateur Draft, Ozzie Canseco transitioned into an outfielder in the minors after a rotator cuff injury and eventually reached the Major Leagues with both the Oakland Athletics (1990) and St. Louis Cardinals (1992/93).

In the millennium year of 2000, Canseco christened the first full season of the new home of the Newark Bears, Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, with one of the best offensive years the Atlantic League has ever seen.

Canseco hit 48 home runs and drove in 129 runs establishing the single-season record for the Atlantic League -- a season mark that still stands in the league today. Incredibly, Canseco averaged one home run for every 9.4 (under/10) at bats.

The power clinic that the Newark first baseman put on in 2000 --framed by leading the league with a .644 slugging and 1069 OPS average -- resulted in the Atlantic League naming Canseco the Player of the Year.

Canseco’s twin brother and 1998 American League MVP, Jose, joined him for the 2001 season on the Newark Bears and appeared on the same roster together the first time since the 1990 Oakland A’s.

Tim Cain - Atlantic League All-Time Career Wins and Strikeout Leader

2000 Newark Bears Citation Graphics Team Set #11 (Unsigned)
Autographed 2004 Bridgeport Bluefish Subway Team Set #8

Achieving the level of Triple-A in both the Red Sox and Blue Jays organizations, Tim Cain entered the Atlantic League in its 1998 inaugural year and went on to become the League’s all-time career leader in innings pitched (1150 2/3), wins (74) and strikeouts (737).

With a career that spanned 10 seasons in the Atlantic League, the former UCONN Huskie, had double-digit-win seasons a total of five times toeing the rubber for Newark(’98-’01), Bridgeport (’02-’05),  Long Island (’06-’07)) and Camden (’07) during his tenure. The Springfield, MA native is the only Atlantic League pitcher to win 10 games in each of his first four seasons.

Cain’s Atlantic League signature season came with the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2004, finishing the season 12-3 with a 3.12 ERA and averaging 7.8 hits and less than one home run per nine-inning game.

Rickey Henderson - All-Time Stolen Base and Runs-Scored King

Autographed Baseball & 2003 Newark Bears Team Set Card # 5 (Unsigned)

Through his 24-year MLB career, Rickey Henderson cemented his legend as the greatest lead-off hitter that the game of baseball has ever known.

Henderson gained this distinction by establishing the MLB career marks for runs scored (2,295-surpassing Ty Cobb); and Steals (1,406-surpassing Lou Brock with 50% more stolen bases).

In 2009, the 3,000-Hit-Club member received 94.8% of votes on the BBWAA ballots and was enshrined in Cooperstown in his first year of eligibility.

In 2003, “The Man of Steal” became a member of the Newark Bears and played for two seasons in the Atlantic League; thrilling fans with 37 stolen bases in 2004. Commenting on his tenure in the League, Henderson said: “I had a great time. To tell you the truth, I probably had a better time than I did in the major leagues,”… “In the major leagues, we always worry about how well we’re doing. When I got a chance to play in independent ball, it wasn’t about how well you do but how much fun you’re having, and I had a great time.”