Camden Riversharks

Baseball team in Camden, New Jersey

Camden Riversharks

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Logo | Cap insignia
Information
League| Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (Liberty Division)
Location| Camden, New Jersey
Ballpark| Campbell's Field
Founded| 2001
Folded| 2015
Nickname(s)| The Sharks,
South Jersey's Home Team
League championships| (0)
Colors| Navy blue, Columbia blue, white
Retired numbers| 16, 42
Ownership| Opening Day Partners
General manager| Lindsay Rosenberg
Manager| Chris Widger
Media| Camden Courier-Post, meridix.com (Internet Radio Broadcast)

The Camden Riversharks were an American professional baseball team based in Camden, New Jersey, from 2001 to 2015. They were a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, then unaffiliated with Major League Baseball. The Riversharks played their home games at Campbell's Field, which was situated at the base of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Due to its location on the Delaware River, the ballpark offered a clear view of the Philadelphia skyline. The "Riversharks" name referred to the location of Camden on the Delaware River, and the primary logo incorporated the Benjamin Franklin Bridge that links Camden to Philadelphia.

On October 21, 2015, the Camden Riversharks announced they would cease operations immediately due to the inability to reach an agreement on lease terms with the owner of Campbell's Field, the Camden County Improvement Authority (the authority had purchased Campbell's Field from Rutgers University two months prior).[1][2][3][4]

The Riversharks were replaced by the New Britain Bees, a separate franchise for the 2016 season.[5]

## History of Camden baseball

[edit]

Camden Riversharks game in 2009. A PATCO train crossing the Ben Franklin Bridge

The Riversharks were not the first baseball team to call Camden home. The Camden Merritt, named for former state senator Albert Merritt,[6] of the Interstate Association played there in 1883, and disbanded the same year.[7] Another team from the Tri-State League played in Camden in 1904, and they too disbanded, during the season. The inception of the Riversharks in 2001 was the first professional baseball team in Camden since the 1904 season.

## Logos and uniforms

[edit]

Ticket stub for Camden-Somerset game of June 12, 2009

The team colors of the Camden Riversharks were navy blue, Columbia blue, and white. The Riversharks' last logo, introduced in 2005 with a new ownership group, consisted of a shark biting a baseball bat superimposed over a stylized depiction of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The Riversharks' former logo, used from 2001 to 2005, consisted of a navy blue ring with a shark centered above the wordmark superimposed over it.

The Riversharks' primary caps were navy blue with a Columbia blue visor and the "shark-fin" cap logo centered on the front. The home jerseys were white with navy blue piping and feature the "Sharks" wordmark across the front in white with navy blue and Columbia blue outline. The away jerseys were gray with the "Camden" wordmark centered across the jersey in navy blue with Columbia blue outline.

## Season-by-season records

[edit]

Camden Riversharks - 2001 to 2015[8]

Season  | W - L Record  | Winning Percentage  | Finish  | Playoffs
2001 | 49–77 | .389 | 3rd in South Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2002 | 71–54 | .568 | 2nd in South Division | 1–2 (lost division final)
2003 | 78–48 | .619 | 1st in South Division | 0–2 (lost division final)
2004 | 76–49 | .608 | 1st in South Division | 0–3 (lost league championship)
2005 | 80–60 | .571 | 1st in South Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2006 | 61–65 | .484 | 4th in South Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2007 | 67–59 | .532 | 2nd in South Division | 1–2 (lost division final)
2008 | 67–73 | .479 | 3rd in Liberty Division | 1–3 (lost league championship)
2009 | 62–78 | .443 | 4th in Liberty Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2010 | 62–77 | .446 | 4th in Liberty Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2011 | 57–67 | .460 | 4th in Liberty Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2012 | 62–77 | .446 | 4th in Liberty Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2013 | 54–86 | .386 | 4th in Liberty Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2014 | 43–80 | .350 | 3rd in Liberty Division | Did not qualify for the playoffs
2015 | 56–83 | .403 | Tied for 3rd with Bridgeport | Did not qualify for the playoffs
Totals (2001–2015) | 945–1033 | .477 | - | 7–12

## Retired numbers

[edit]

42 (Jackie Robinson)
Second baseman, Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997

16 (Brad Strauss)
1B / 3B / OF / DH, Retired by the Riversharks on August 12, 2007[9][10]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* Kim Batiste
* Danny Bautista
* Alberto Castillo
* Mike Costanzo
* Ben Davis
* Stephen Drew
* Pedro Feliz
* Brian Lawrence
* José Lima
* Blaine Neal
* Craig Paquette
* Valentino Pascucci
* René Rivera
* Félix Rodríguez
* Ted Silva
* Josh Towers
* Wilson Valdez
* Jered Weaver
* Delwyn Young

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Farewell Fans". Riversharks.com (Press release). Camden Riversharks. September 21, 2015. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
2. ^ "...the Camden Riversharks will cease baseball operations immediately...". Facebook. Atlantic League Of Professional Baseball. September 21, 2015. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022.
3. ^ Adomaitis, Greg (October 21, 2015). "Riversharks leaving Camden after 15 years due to lease issues". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
4. ^ Walsh, Jim (April 13, 2016). "Play ball? Campbell's Field outlook hazy". Courier-Post. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
5. ^ Stacom, Don (October 22, 2015). "Atlantic League Baseball: Camden Is Out, New Britain Is In". Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
6. ^ "Governor Breaks Ground for Ballpark". State of New Jersey (Press release). Office of the Governor. June 15, 2000. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
7. ^ "New Jersey Sports Teams of the Past". Titans101.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2006.
8. ^ "Atlantic League Information". The North Brunswick Pfaus. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
9. ^ Filomeno, Natalie (September 13, 2007). "Camden Drops Final Home Game, 5-2, on Brad Strauss Night". Riversharks.com. Camden Riversharks. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2008. "The team retired the No. 16 worn by second baseman Brad Strauss, a former star at Haddon Township High in Camden County."
10. ^ "Brad Strauss stats". The Baseball Cube. September 13, 2007. Retrieved September 28, 2008.

## External links

[edit]

* Camden Riversharks official website

Achievements

Preceded by

Newark Bears
North Division
2007

|  Liberty Division Champions
Camden Riversharks
2008  | Succeeded by

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
2009

Preceded by

Somerset Patriots
2003

|  South Division Champions
Camden Riversharks
2004  | Succeeded by

Somerset Patriots
2005

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