- Newark Bears (1926–1949)
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This article is about the former Newark Bears of the International League. For the Atlantic League team, see Newark Bears.
The Newark Bears were a team in the International League from 1926 to 1949. They played their home games at Ruppert Stadium in what is now known as the Ironbound section of Newark; the stadium was demolished in 1967.
Newark was a hotbed of minor league baseball from the time of the formation of the Newark Indians in 1902, and the addition of the Newark Eagles of the Negro National Leagues in 1936. A Federal League team, the Newark Peppers, played in 1915.
In 1937, as a farm club of the New York Yankees, the Bears featured one of the most potent lineups in baseball, including Charlie Keller, Joe Gordon, Spud Chandler and George McQuinn, among others. They won the pennant by 25½ games to become known as one of the greatest minor league teams of all time.[1][2] Their legacy was ensured when, after trailing 3 games to 0, they won the last four games against the Columbus Red Birds of the American Association to capture the Junior World Series.
Following the 1949 season, the Bears moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. Their departure, and the folding of the Eagles a year later, left Newark without professional baseball for nearly 50 years, until the formation of the Atlantic League Bears (see above).
One of the Bears' players, veteran pitcher George Earl Toolson, was reassigned by the Yankees to the AA Binghamton Triplets for the 1950 season. He refused to report and filed a lawsuit challenging the reserve clause, which went all the way to the Supreme Court. The justices upheld the clause and baseball's antitrust exemption, 7-2.
Contents
Season-by-season records
Newark Bears - 1926 to 1949 Season Affiliation Manager Record 1926 None Fred Burchell 99-66, 3rd place 1927 None John Egan 90-77, 3rd place 1928 None Walter Johnson 81-84, 7th place 1929 None Tris Speaker 81-85, 7th place 1930 None Tris Speaker/Al Mamaux 80-88, 5th place 1931 None Al Mamaux 99-69, 2nd place 1932 Yankees Al Mamaux 109-59, 1st place 1933 Yankees Al Mamaux 102-62, 1st place South 1934 Yankees Bob Shawkey 93-60, 1st place 1935 Yankees Bob Shawkey 81-71, 4th place 1936 Yankees Ossie Vitt 88-67, 3rd place 1937 Yankees Ossie Vitt 109-43, 1st place 1938 Yankees Johnny Neun 104-48, 1st place 1939 Yankees Johnny Neun 82-73, 4th place 1940 Yankees Johnny Neun 95-65, 2nd place 1941 Yankees Johnny Neun 100-54, 1st place 1942 Yankees Bill Meyer 92-61, 1st place 1943 Yankees Bill Meyer 85-68, 2nd place 1944 Yankees Bill Meyer 85-69, 2nd place 1945 Yankees Bill Meyer 89-64, 2nd place 1946 Yankees George Selkirk 80-74, 4th place 1947 Yankees George Selkirk 65-89, 6th place 1948 Yankees Bill Skiff 80-72, 2nd place 1949 Yankees Buddy Hassett 55-98, 8th place Totals Overall record Winning percentage (1926-1949) 2039-1586 .562 Post-Season Results
- 1932: Defeated Minneapolis Millers (American Association), 4 games to 2, in Junior World Series
- 1933: Lost to Rochester Red Wings, 3 games to 1, in opening round
- 1934: Lost to Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 games to 3, in opening round
- 1935: Lost to Syracuse Chiefs, 4 games to 0, in opening round
- 1936: Lost to Buffalo Bisons, 4 games to 1, in opening round
- 1937: Defeated Syracuse Chiefs, 4 games to 0; defeated Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 0, for league championship; defeated Columbus Red Birds, 4 games to 3, in Junior World Series
- 1938: Defeated Rochester Red Wings, 4 games to 3; defeated Buffalo Bisons, 4 games to 1, for league championship; lost to Kansas City Blues, 4 games to 3, in Junior World Series
- 1939: Defeated Jersey City Giants, 4 games to 2; lost to Rochester Red Wings, 4 games to 3, in championship round
- 1940: Defeated Jersey City Giants, 4 games to 0; defeated Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 3, for league championship; defeated Louisville Colonels, 4 games to 2, in Junior World Series
- 1941: Defeated Rochester Red Wings, 4 games to 1; lost to Montreal Royals, 4 games to 3, in championship round
- 1942: Lost to Jersey City Giants, 4 games to 2, in opening round
- 1943: Lost to Syracuse Chiefs, 4 games to 2, in opening round
- 1944: Defeated Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 games to 0; lost to Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 3, in championship round
- 1945: Defeated Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 games to 2; defeated Montreal Royals, 4 games to 3, for league championship; lost to Louisville Colonels, 4 games to 2, in Junior World Series
- 1946: Lost to Montréal Royals, 4 games to 2, in opening round
- 1948: Lost to Syracuse Chiefs, 4 games to 3, in opening round
Titles
The Bears won the Governors' Cup, the championship of the IL, 4 times, and played in the championship series 7 times.
- 1937 - Defeated Baltimore
- 1938 - Defeated Buffalo
- 1939 - Lost to Rochester
- 1940 - Defeated Baltimore
- 1941 - Lost to Montreal
- 1944 - Lost to Baltimore
- 1945 - Defeated Montreal
Other Historical Newark Teams[3]
- Newark Domestics, played in the Eastern League from 1884 to 1885.
- Newark Little Giants, played in the Eastern League in 1886, and the International League in 1887.
- Newark, played in the Central League in 1888, and the Atlantic Association from 1889 to 1890.
- Newark, played in the Atlantic League in 1896, and from 1899 to 1900.
- Newark Indians, played in the Eastern League from 1902 to 1911, and the International League from 1912 to the middle of the 1915 season. They were the International League champions in 1913.
- Newark Stars, played in the Eastern Colored League in 1926.
- Newark Browns, played in the East-West League in 1932.
- Newark Dodgers, played in the Negro National League from 1934 to 1935.
- Newark Peppers, played in the Federal League in 1915.
- Newark Bears, played in the New York-Penn League in 1950 to 1952.
References
- ^ Suehsdorf, A. D. (1978). The Great American Baseball Scrapbook, p. 100. Random House. ISBN 0-394-50253-1.
- ^ Ronald, Mayer (1994), The 1937 Newark Bears: A Baseball Legend, Rutgers University Press, ISBN 9780813521534, http://books.google.com/books?id=vZfgW4HGCa0C&lpg=PP1&dq=1937%20Newark%20Bears&pg=PR9#v=onepage&q&f=false
- ^ "Historical Newark Teams". Titans 101. http://www.titans101.com/njpast.htm. Retrieved May 27, 2006.
Categories:- Defunct International League teams
- Sports in Newark, New Jersey
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