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Camden River Sharks

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The Camden Riversharks were an American professional baseball team based in Camden, New Jersey. They were a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. From the 2001 season to 2015, the Riversharks played their home games at Cambell's Field, which is situated next to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Due to its location on the Camden Waterfront the field offers a clear view of the Philadelphia skyline. The "Riversharks" name refers to the location of Camden on the Delaware River. [1] The Riversharks were the first professional baseball team in Camden, New Jersey since the 1904 season.[2]

The team wore navy, Columbia blue and white on their uniforms. The home jerseys were white with navy blue outlining and the word "Sharks" across the front in white with navy and a lighter shade of columbia blue outlining it. The away jerseys were gray with the word "Camden" in the center across the jersey in navy blue with Columbia blue outlining.[3]

When Rutgers-Camden owned the team in 2001, the River Sharks logo was a navy blue ring with the words Camden in between. Underneath was a sharp toothed shark eating the words "River Sharks." [4] The Riversharks' last logo, introduced in 2005 with a new ownership group, consisted of a shark biting a baseball bat superimposed over a depiction of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. [5]

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 Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, whom the Riversharks play for, announced New Britain Rock Cats had joined the league and Camden was one of two teams which could potentially replace the New England team. Since negotiations with the Riversharks and The Camden County Improvement Authority could not be met, the Riversharks ended their 15 years playing at Cambell's field. [6] The Riversharks folded after losing their lease, a development that followed the purchase of the financially troubled stadium by the CCIA for $3.5 million. [7]

Cambell's Field

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Campbell's Field opened along side of the Ben Franklin Bridge in May 2001 after two years of construction. Campbell's Field is a 6,700-seat baseball park in Camden, New Jersey, United States that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 11, 2001. The riverfront project was a joint venture backed by the state, Rutgers University, Cooper's Ferry Development Association and the Delaware River Port Authority. The construction of the ballpark was a 24 million dollar project that also included 7 million dollars in environmental remediation costs before building.[8] Before the construction of Cambell's Field, the plot of land was vacant and historically known to house industrial buildings and businesses such as Campbell Soup Company Plant No. 2, Pennsylvania & Reading Rail Road’s Linden Street Freight Station. The park, located at Delaware and Penn Avenues on the Camden Waterfront features a view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge connecting Camden and a clear view of the Philadelphia Skyline.

The ballpark remains home to the Rutgers Camden's college baseball team, and until 2015 was home to the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League of Baseball. The naming rights are owned by the Camden-based Cambell Soup Company, which paid $3 million over ten years.

The stadium remains mostly unused because the Camden County Improvement Authority declined to renew a lease with the Camden Riversharks in October of 2015 and has yet to sign a new tenant for the 6,700-seat stadium. [9]

On June 15th, 1999, former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman attended the stadium's first game. [10]

Cambell's field was one of the projects designed to bring urban renewal in Camden. In 2003, Campbell's Field was honored by Digitalballparks.com as "Ball Park of the Year." [11] Campbell's Field was again honored in 2004 by Baseball America as the "Ballpark of the Year."[12] Campbell's Field has been honored with several local awards, including the Camden County Improvement Authority Entertainment Award in 2000, the International Masonry Institute Golden Trowel Award in 2001, the Urban Land Institute's Award for Excellence in 2002, the Downtown New Jersey Excellence Award, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association Good Neighbor Award, and the Distinguished Award for Engineering Excellence given by the Consulting Engineers Council of New Jersey in 2003.

Campbell's Field was bought in August 2015 by the Camden County Improvement Authority (CCIA). In October 2015, after failing to reach an agreement with CCIA, the stadium's primary professional tenant, the Camden Riversharks, ceased operations.[13]

As part of its naming rights contract, the concessions at Campbell's Field feature several Campbell's Soup Company products such as V8 beverages, Pace salsa, and Pepperridge Farm snacks. A traditional ballpark menu is also available, with hot dogs produced by the Philadelphia-based  Dietz & Watson Inc. [14]

The Acme Fun Zone is a playground are that provides entertainment for children. The zone is hosted by the Riversharks mascot, Finely, and includes a carousel and various inflatables. It was formerly called the Utz Fun Zone and Holman Fun Zone. [15]

Campbell's Field offers multiple seating options for its patrons. Executives can enjoy the Diamond Café. The diamond cafe includes a gourmet buffet, waiting service, and clear view of the skyline.

Historical Figures

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Joe Walcott was a Heavy Weight Title champion from Camden, NJ. At age 37 in 1951 Walcott knocked out Ezzard Charles. Walcott's real name was Arnold Raymond Cream. He was known as an athlete who turned professional at the age of 16.[16] He was known by his fans as an athlete who would not quit despite attempting to win the title four separate times before winning it in 1951. After retiring, Walcott was a fight referee for a small period of time before becoming Sheriff of Camden County. Later he became chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission until he retired at age 70 because of the mandatory retirement age. [17] Walcott died in 1994 at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, NJ.[18]

Mike Rozier was born in Camden, NJ. He won the 1983 Heisman Trophy with 2, 148 rushing yards and 29 touch downs. [19] Rozier was the Number one draft pick. He was chosen in the the United State Football League (USFL) by the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Jacksonville Bulls. He was chosen in the supplemental draft by the Houston Oilers in 1984 and he played for them for seven years. He finished his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1991. [2] Rozier was inducted in 2005 inaugural class of the Camden County Sports Hall of Fame. He was also indicted in the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame. Jordan Burroughs was born in Camden, NJ but grew up in Sicklerville, NJ.[20]

Jordan Burroughs is a Camden native took home Gold at the London Olympics in 2012 for Wrestling.[21]

  1. ^ Gutenberg, Project. "Camden Riversharks | Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing - eBooks | Read eBooks online". self.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  2. ^ "Professional baseball Records for Camden, New Jersey". www.luckyshow.org. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  3. ^ "Camden Riversharks". datab.us. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  4. ^ "Camden Riversharks Logos - Atlantic League (ALPB) - Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net". www.sportslogos.net. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  5. ^ "NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
  6. ^ "Riversharks leaving Camden after 15 years due to lease issues". NJ.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  7. ^ "Play ball? Campbell's Field outlook hazy". Courier-Post. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  8. ^ Unit, NJDOT Web Development. "Governor Breaks Ground for Ballpark; Unveils Battleship New Jersey,". www.nj.gov. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  9. ^ "Play ball? Campbell's Field outlook hazy". Courier-Post. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  10. ^ Unit, NJDOT Web Development. "Governor Breaks Ground for Ballpark; Unveils Battleship New Jersey,". www.nj.gov. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  11. ^ "Digitalballparks.com - An Online Baseball Stadium Museum". www.digitalballparks.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  12. ^ "Baseball America | Majors, Minors, Prospects, Draft, High School". BaseballAmerica.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  13. ^ "Campbell's Field set to be acquired by Camden County Improvement Authority". NJ.com. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  14. ^ "Campbells Field | Ballpark Digest". ballparkdigest.com. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  15. ^ "Inflatable Fun Zone - All About Kids". All About Kids. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  16. ^ "BoxRec - Jersey Joe Walcott". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  17. ^ "History of Camden County Sheriffs". www.camdencounty.com. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  18. ^ Lyons, Richard D. (1994-02-27). "Jersey Joe Walcott, Boxing Champion, Dies at 80". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  19. ^ "Heisman Trophy". heisman.com. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  20. ^ "Heisman Trophy". heisman.com. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  21. ^ "Rio 2016: Jordan Burroughs experiences the cruel side of the Olympic Dream | Politi". NJ.com. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
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