Bergen Cliff Hawks
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| Bergen Cliff Hawks | |
| Founded | |
| Ballpark | Bergen Ballpark at the Meadowlands |
| Based in | East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Team Colors | black, maroon |
| League | Atlantic League of Professional Baseball |
| Local Media | |
| Team Manager | |
| Pitching Coach | |
| Third Base Coach | |
| Athletic Trainer | |
| General Manager | |
| Owner | Steve Kalafer |
The Bergen Cliff Hawks are a proposed Atlantic League team to be based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Unless concurring negotiations fail, they will play in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affilitated with Major League Baseball.
The team hopes to play at the Bergen Ballpark at the Meadowlands, located on the site of the Meadowlands Xanadu project. There is not any timeline in place as the Bergen Cliff Hawks continue seemingly hopeless negotiations with the Mills Corporation over architectural planning and a lease for the ballpark. If talks do fail, the Cliff Hawks will search another site in the northern New Jersey area and another minor league baseball team will occupy the Bergen Ballpark at the Meadowlands.
The name "Cliff Hawks" refers to the hawks that inhabit the cliffs of the New Jersey Palisades, of which run through Bergen County. The colors are black and maroon.
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[edit] History
East Rutherford, as all of Bergen County, is located adjacent to New York City. Therefore, Bergen County does not have any professional baseball history of its own. Much of the fanbase for the New York Yankees and the New York Mets comes from the northern New Jersey area, and the city of Newark also has commanded attention for the older and newer inceptions of the Bears.
Since 2000[1] Steve Kalafer, a current investor of the Atlantic League, owner of the Newark Bears, and part-owner of the Camden Riversharks, has tried to bring a professional baseball team to northern New Jersey. Initially the plan was for a new stadium to be built at one of two sites in Overpeck County Park. Opposition in Leonia, Ridgefield Park, and Fort Lee halted the plan within a few months. Kalafer then turned his attention to a different Ridgefield Park site just east of the New Jersey Turnpike. That proposal stalled as the Bergen freeholders opposed the issuance of $20 million in bonds for the ballpark. Kalafer then worked with the Mills Corporation to build a ballpark in conjunction with its Meadowlands Xanadu project. Over a period of five years, talks have deteriorated between Kalafer and the Mills Corp. The company has reneged on its promise to build a ballpark and the Cliff Hawks are homeless. Even though the Mills Corp. is now actively looking to find another tenant for its ballpark, that plan is strongly opposed by New Jersey politicians. In the political spectrum, many representitives do not want yet another shopping mall. They are still trying to hold the Mills Corp. on its original promise of providing an entertainment venue, including the baseball stadium. With pressure mounting against the Mills Corporation, an announcement is expected in the near future. So the Bergen Cliff Hawks may play at the Bergen Ballpark at the Meadowlands or find another site to build a different stadium.[2]
[edit] Quick facts
- Current uniform colors: White with maroon piping for home games and grey with maroon piping. Home with the word "Cliff Hawks" across the front and number on the back. The away has the word "Bergen" across the front and number on the back. Black hats with the letter a depiction of a stylized hawk.
- Current logo design: The wordmark "Cliff Hawks" in white outlined in black superimposed over a stylized, maroon hawk with black outline. The hawk is depicted with its talons gripping a baseball. The beak and the talons are the color 'sand.'
- Current mascot: Homer
- Current Broadcasters:
- Current Radio Station:
[edit] References
- ^ Cliff Hawks trouble begins. Bergen.com. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
- ^ Cliff Hawks stadium woes. NorthJersey.com. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
- Atlantic League blog
- Atlantic League Independent
- East Rutherford, New Jersey
| Atlantic League of Professional Baseball |
|---|
| North Division: Bridgeport Bluefish • Long Island Ducks • Newark Bears • Road Warriors South Division: Camden Riversharks • Lancaster Barnstormers • Somerset Patriots • York Revolution Future Teams: Southern Maryland Blue Crabs |
