Before tonight’s game started, I wondered who would give up more walks — Ollie Perez or whoever started for the Bears. I would have bet on the Bears’ pitcher and I would have lost.

Ollie walked seven en route to his second win of the season. Newark’s Ramiro Mendoza only walked two in six innings on the way to his first Atlantic League win.

I’m a fan of the well-pitched 3-2 or 2-1 game, but tonight’s 12-8 final was the best Atlantic League game I’ve seen in weeks.

Things started well for the Bears. Mendoza retired the first three Ducks and Andres Perez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to give Newark the early lead.

The Ducks fought back, with five in the second on an RBI single by Johnny Hernandez and a grand slam by Lew Ford. Newark tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a three-run homer by Felix Martinez and re-took the lead on an improbable solo shot by Brandon Buckman in the third.

That was enough to send Long Island starter B.J. Lamura to the showers. One-time Mets prospect Robert Paulk came on in relief and pitched a perfect fourth. In the fifth, Ducks DH Juan Francia used his speed (and some lackadaisical defensive play) to manufacture a run to re-tie the game.

Paulk came back out for the fifth adn yielded back-to-back doubles to Carl Everett and Salomon Manriquez to start the inning. He struck out the next two batters, but walked Michael Sandoval. Victor Mercedes hit a two-run triple and Felix Martinez singled him home. The Bears had a 10-6 lead.

The Ducks added a couple of runs off of reliever Keith Foulke, while the Bears picked up a couple of runs off Franklin Perez. Armando Benitez came on to close out the 12-8 victory.

With the win, the Bears finish the first half with a 35-35 record. Friday starts the second half and everybody gets a clean slate.

The Bears released Ryan Bukvich today, a move that seemed a bit overdue. They also cut Edgar Martinez, lost Jose Garcia because of family issues and Shane Komine due to injury. That’s four pitchers who had recently been in the starting rotation. I can hardly wait to see who has/will be replacing them.

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This is the baseball card that Gary Carter has been handing out to fans attending Atlantic League games this year. It’s a nice addition to my Gary Carter baseball card collection, but the autograph appears to be a pre-print.

Going to a Newark Bears game these days feels a little like getting stuck in the movie “Groundhog Day.” The details change a little, but ultimately you end up watching the same one-sided blowout over and over.

Ryan Bukvich

I suspected we were in for a long evening when Ryan Bukvich was announced as the starting pitcher for Newark. I still remember Somerset Patriots beat writer Ryan Dunleavy telling us that Bukvich was the best pitcher in the league the first time we saw him. Bukvich may very well have the best stuff, but he’s got the worst control. He lead the league with 54 walks entering tonight’s game, despite not starting a game in nearly a month.

Sure enough, Bukvich walked the first two batters of the game and I thought we were in for a repeat of last night’s game. But Bukvich recovered and struck out the next two batters. He might have escaped the inning unscathed, but Charlton Jimerson lazily played a fly ball into a single and an error, and the Bears were down by two.

The Bears cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the first when Tike Redman manufactured a run with his speed. Even though Bukvich walked four batters in the first, he was still very much in the game. He scattered four more walks and a hit over the next three innings, but Bukvich kept the Long Island Ducks off the board. I wanted to believe Newark actually had a chance.

The Bears wasted a second inning leadoff double from Salomon Manriquez, but they didn’t have any other real scoring opportunities through the first four innings. And in the fifth, everything fell apart for the Newark.

Preston Wilson signs autographs

Preston Wilson led off with s home run to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead, but Bukvich was able to retire the next two batters. Then he lost the strike zone. He walked the last four batters he faced, forcing in the fourth Long Island run of the game. Raines pulled Bukvich and made a call to the bullpen.

Elvin Vargas

In came number 38, and for a moment I thought for a moment that Sean Tracey was coming into the game. But it was Elvin Vargas, a New York native who was a 25th round draft choice of the Baltimore Orioles in 2005. (Tracey went home after last night’s disastrous performance. He’ll finish his Atlantic League season with a 162.00 ERA.)

Vargas looked like he was trying to fit in — he walked in the fifth run, and allowed the sixth and seventh to score on Ray Navarette’s RBI single. Preston Willson drove home the eighth with an RBI single, while the ninth run scored on a  passed ball. Vargas struck out Estee Harris to finally end the inning, but the damage was done.

Troy Cate

The Bears got one back in the bottom of the fifth off starter Troy Cate and scored two more off of reliever Ron Flores. But it was too little, too late. The Bears dropped below .500 with their 8th loss in 10 games and 2nd loss in a row.

Before the game, I got Preston Wilson to sign a couple more cards for me, this time showing him as a Colorado Rockies player and a Washington National. After the game, I caught reliever Jason Norderum on the way off the field. He seemed surprised that someone was interested in his autograph, but he was very patient as I fumbled around to find his card and a pen.

But the real prize came courtesy of my friend Greg, who managed to scare up an Atlantic League baseball and got Gary Carter to sign it with the inscription HOF 2003, MGR L.I. Ducks 2009.

Ramiro Mendoza

The Bears finally announced the guests for this weekend’s Legends Sunday: Armando Benitez and Ramiro Mendoza. I’ve been thinking about asking Armando to sign a baseball, so in a sense this is perfect for me. On the other hand, it might have been nice to bring in somebody who isn’t a Newark Bear.

I’ve finally seen all eight Atlantic League teams after watching tonight’s game between Long Island and Newark. And it sure seems like seven of them are better than the Newark Bears.

Sean Tracey

Newly-signed Newark pitcher Sean Tracey had a nightmare of a debut. He faced seven batters, walked five, hit one and threw two wild pitches. The only out he recorded was a strikeout — Long Island first baseman Victor Rodriguez was over-eager and swung at pitches well out of the strike zone. Tim Raines brought Matt Melody back on two days’ rest to relieve Tracey, but Melody didn’t fare any better than he did in Camden.

The Bears surrendered eight runs on two hits before they even got to bat. Long Island outfielder Johnny Hernandez hit a two-run homer to add to the Ducks’ lead in the second inning.

Jacque Jones

Charlton Jimerson and Jacque Jones hit solo home runs off of Long Island starter Julio Manon, but they couldn’t mount any kind of sustained rally. Manon loaded the bases in the fifth inning on a pair of walks and a hit batsman, but Newark first baseman Brandon Buckman flew out to center to end the threat. It turned out to be the Bears’ last chance to really get back into the game.

Julio Manon

The bullpens kept the score at 10-2 until the ninth inning. Catcher Alberto Castillo, who was traded to Long Island this morning in exchange for future considerations, hit a solo home run against his former team. The Bears mounted a small rally in the ninth inning, scoring three runs off of newly acquired Long Island Duck Franklin Perez. Robert Paulk came on to strike out Bears shortstop Victor Mercedes to end the game.

Lew Ford

The bad baseball really wasn’t the big news of the evening, nor were the multiple player moves. Starting Friday, the Bears are changing their game times. Weeknight games are being pushed back an hour, from 6:05 to 7:05 starts. Saturday games are switching from 4:05 to 7:05, and Sunday games will move from 4:05 to 1:05 starts. My friend Bart was one of a number of irate fans, because the new start times don’t really fit his work schedule. I don’t understand how you can change start times like this after the season starts & you’ve been selling tickets based on the old start times, but the Newark Bears seem to find new ways to amaze me every week. At least the new start times should make it easier for me to get autographs.

Preston Wilson draws a walk

I was able to get to the park tonight and get a few autographs anyway tonight. Preston Wilson couldn’t have been nicer. He signed multiple cards for everyone who asked him and seemed very friendly.

During the game, the Bears have staff members throw old promotional items up into the stands. Wilson was walking back from the clubhouse when this was going on, so the Bears’ staffer offered him a “Lets Go Bears” sign. He took it and asked, “I can’t be a Bears fan?” Then he mugged a little and stuck it in his back pocket, “I have to go back in [the dugout] with those guys, so maybe I better hide this,” he said. It was a fun moment that helped make an otherwise dull game move a little more quickly.

Gary Carter and Lew Ford were also very friendly. I did not ask Carter to sign anything, but my friends all got autographs and we got to speak with him for a few moments. Next time the Ducks come in, I’ll get a copy of the photo of Carter from the Shea Goodbye ceremony and make a donation to the Gary Carter foundation to get it signed.

Both teams made a flurry of roster moves today. The Bears traded catcher Alberto Castillo to the Ducks for future considerations. Castillo cleaned out his locker and gave one of his old gloves to my friend Greg. Newark signed infielder Victor Mercedes, who last played for Chatanooga. At some point, they activated pitcher Sean Tracey, who last pitched for Norfolk. I think Tracey was signed at the same time Ramiro Mendoza was, but the move just wasn’t reported.

Newark GM Mark Skeels is still looking to upgrade his pitching staff, but things don’t look so good right now.

The Ducks placed catcher Robert Sandora on the inactive list; Carter said that he was injured and would be out for a while. They also acquired pitcher Franklin Perez from the Bridgeport Bluefish to complete an earlier trade involving Ron Davenport. To create a roster spot, the Ducks released pitcher Mike Hrynio.

Lines of the night

Dave LaPoint: “Did somebody get stuck in the turnstiles?” (a reaction to the tiny crowd at the ballpark tonight)

Tim Raines: “I wanted [Sean Tracey] to show me something, but I didn’t need to see that!”  (said while taking his spot in the third base coaching box before the bottom of the first inning)

I left Friday morning to meet some friends and head to Camden to watch the Newark Bears play the Camden Riversharks. We stayed over in Cherry Hill at the same hotel the Bears use.

Matt Melody

Friday night, Camden won 7-6. But the game wasn’t really that close. Newark starter Matt Melody, who just doesn’t seem to have enough experience to pitch at this level, gave up four runs and didn’t make it out of the fourth inning. Ryan Bukvich came on in relief, but he continued to struggle with his control and surrendered three more runs in an inning and a third.

Dewon Brazelton

Meanwhile, the Bears didn’t put their first run on the board until the seventh inning, after Camden starter Dewon Brazelton left the game. The Bears scored all six runs off the Camden bullpen, highlighted by a monster Carl Everett home run in the ninth inning. Riversharks closer Felix Rodriguez was able to hang on for his fourth save of the season, and the Bears fell to just one game above .500.

The Riversharks had a very nice crowd and a great postgame fireworks show.

Saturday, we did a little sightseeing in Philadelphia. We drove by Citizens Bank Park (which looks remarkably similar to Citi Field from the outside) and saw the SS United States, among other things.

The game was more of the same. Kyle Kobernus allowed eight runs in six inning, though only three were earned thanks to some fielding miscues. Willie Banks came on in relief, and allowed two more runs on five walks in one inning. The Bears couldn’t provide enough offense to overcome the deficit, so they lost 10-6.

After the game, we ran into Carl Everett in the team hotel and I was able to get my bat signed. I did not have much luck getting anything signed at the ballpark.

Carl Everett

Today’s game was another one-sided affair, but this time the Bears managed to come out on top. Newark scored six runs off of former Somerset Patriots pitcher Josh Brey in the first three innings. Carl Everett hit another long home run to highlight the scoring.  The Bears added four more runs off of the bullpen before the Riversharks conceded and brought on second baseman Brian Finnegan to pitch the ninth.

Newark’s Jose Garcia carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, when Jon Knott broke it up with a double. Garica allowed four runs, including a homer by Jose Leon, before being lifted in favor of Ramiro Mendoza. The former Yankee escaped the inning and pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth before yielding to Keith Foulke in the ninth. Foulke allowed another run before ending the game, giving the Bears a 10-5 win and letting them finish the weekend a game above .500.

Before the game, Camden held a team autograph session. I was able to get eight cards from this year’s team set signed, along with a handful of cards I brought to Camden.

Though the Bears played better today, they are still not terribly fun to watch right now.

After work tomorrow, I’m planning to go to Newark to watch the Bears play the Long Island Ducks — I will finally have seen all 8 Atlantic League teams, though I had to go to Camden to accomplish this feat before the end of the first half. (The Atlantic League schedule is somewhat bizarre  — the Bears won’t go back to Camden again this year, but the Riversharks haven’t been to Newark at all yet.)

I’m looking forward to seeing Gary Carter and Preston Wilson. After that, we’ll see. I may cut back on the number of games I attend if I don’t start seeing good baseball on a consistent basis.

Jacque Jones, who now plays right field for the Newark Bears, was once considered a potential future star for the Minnesota Twins. Although he had some nice seasons, Jones never quite lived up to expectations. When Jones left Minnesota following the 2005 season, he began a journey that would send him to the Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins and Cincinnati Reds organizations. Now he’s a Newark Bear, trying to earn one more shot at the big leagues.

The Fleer Platinum card pictured above is one of two that Jones signed for me last weekend. He has a very distinct, artistic signature — and I can’t make out a single letter. I do like the way it looks on the card, though.

This is the other card he signed for me last weekend. I don’t really like the way it came out — it gives me the creeps. With the looping lines over his eyes and mouth, the photo on the card makes me think of zombies and occult curses.

Today I’m taking a short break from baseball-related posts to show off a non-sports autograph that I recently got in the mail. You probably wouldn’t recognize actor James Arnold Taylor if you saw him, but if you watch cartoons or play video games you’ve probably heard his voice.

Taylor took over for Ewan McGreggor to provide Obi-Wan Kenobi’s voice in both of the Clone Wars animated series on Cartoon Network. He also portrayed Leonardo in the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon and plays Green Arrow in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

In video games, he is the voice of Tidus in Final Fantasy X, Ratchet in the Ratchet and Clank series, and a number of other characters in various Hollywood movie tie-ins.

I’m leaving in a little while to meet up with some friends and head down to Camden to spend the Fourth of July weekend watching the Newark Bears play the Camden Riversharks. I hope everyone has a happy (and safe) holiday weekend.

I do not expect to have internet access until I get back Sunday night, but if there’s anything interesting to share (or if I get bored) I can update my Twitter feed (seen in the sidebar.) I do have a couple “Autograph of the Day” pieces scheduled to post while I’m away.