Baseball in Newark

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous History of Newark Baseball in Pictures
Review: This just-published book is lavishly illustrated with historical and more recent black and white photographs of the white and black men who have played baseball in Newark, including some from the 2003 season of the independent Atlantic League's Newark Bears. Cvornyek summarizes the history of baseball in the Brick City, from before the Civil War through January 12, 1950, when the Yankees sold the Bears franchise to the Chicago Cubs, who moved the team to Massachusetts; and then from 1999, when former Yankee catcher and Newark native Rick Cerone brought baseball back to Newark.

Cvornyek raided the archives of, among others, the Newark Public Library and the New Jersey Historical Society, for a remarkable series of pictures illustrating the players of Newark's teams throughout the years. The two most famous of these teams are the Newark Bears and the Eagles, the former a triple-A farm team of the New York Yankees, the latter a world-class member of the Negro League. Although the text is minimal, the photographs are accompanied by extensive captions. Baseball fans of all persuasions will recognize many of the great players who passed through Newark on their way to the major leagues. Among the most beloved of these is Yogi Berra, who played with the Bears in 1946. More recent "graduatesEof the Newark Bears include Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson.

Of special note are the group and individual photos of the 1937 Bears, considered by some the greatest minor-league team in history, and the 1946 Negro World Series Champion Eagles.

Despite some sloppy editing (spelling Rickey Henderson's name wrong, for heaven's sake!), the book is a treasure for Newark baseball fans, and, in fact, for all lovers of baseball. The author, Robert Cvornyek, is an associate professor of history and labor studies at Rhode Island College, and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. The book boasts an introduction by Rick Cerone.

Physically, the book is beautiful: nicely laid out, with clear, readable type and a quality paper cover. The photographs have been reproduced with care.