New Jersey Jackals

Whose Side Are You On?

Chicago baseball fans have the Windy City Showdown between the North side's Cubs and the South side's White Sox. New Yorkers are treated twice per season to the Subway Series between the Mets and the Yankees. Now, Essex County has it's own cross-town baseball rivalry with Montclair at the center of it all.

The Yogi Berra Stadium at Montclair State University is the home of the New Jersey Jackals. A ten minute drive to the south brings you to Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium in the heart of Downtown Newark, home to the Newark Bears professional baseball team.

Last fall, the Bears  transferred  from the Atlantic League where they had spent the past twelve years to the Can-Am League. In the process the team made a new-found geographic rival in the New Jersey Jackals. No, unlike some baseball rivalries there would be no bean ball wars; instead this would be a friendly rivalry known as the "Essex County Challenge".

For the Bears, this season is truly a tale of two cities in terms of the players on the roster. On one hand, there are the well-traveled Major League veterans like Daryle Ward and Tim Raines Jr. in the latter stages of their baseball journey.

However for others, such as catcher Eric McGee and relief pitcher Victor Gonzalez, their professional careers are just beginning.

Gonzalez, a recent college graduate, spent three years pitching at Queensborugh Community College in New York City and a year at Missouri Baptist University. The 2011 Can-Am League campaign marks the 22 year-old's first foray into the world of professional baseball and it's clear that he intends to make the most of it.

While the transition into the world of professional baseball has been smooth so far, according to Gonzalez, there have been some nuances that have taken some time to get used to for the left-hander, such as the new-found clubhouse environment, which is something the pitcher said he wasn't familiar with from his college career.

Then of course there's the off-the-field stuff: the fans. Gonzalez noted that it took some time getting used to how to handle five hundred or so eager young autograph seekers every game. In addition, the rookie pitcher had to learn the correct way to sign a baseball. "I didn't know there was a wrong way," Gonzalez admitted.

Having so many veterans is rare feat for a Can-Am League team if not for the simple fact that there are certain limitations to how many veterans a team can carry on the active roster at a given time. It is an opportunity that Gonzalez is certainly making the most of.

Newark Bears-New Jersey Jackals Preview « Kim Has Humps

This morning at 11 AM, we (including Sam) will be heading to Newark to see the Newark Bears take on their arch rivals, the New Jersey Jackals. For those of you who are wonder, the answer is yes, we will finally be using our Newark Train Tickets even though we will be going one station further on the Newark Train. In fact, I believe that we will be getting off the train at the Newark airport. We might be watching a baseball game on the runway preparing for take off, but it should still be great. We have 3rd row seats behind home plate which should make this game even better. One thing to watch out for in this game will be the weather. Below you will see the weather forecast for Newark today. It should be a scorcher.

New Jersey Jackals Players, Craig Breslow, Pete Rose, Jr. , Timo Pérez, Izzy Alcántara, John Lindsey, Luke Allen, Raúl Valdez, Wilton Veras

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