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| Whitey Ford and Tony Ferrara |
On Sunday May 24th, 2009, the Newark Bears welcomed three Yankee legends, World Series MVP's Bobby Richardson and Ralph Terry, as well as Hall of Famer Whitey Ford. In addition to throwing out the first pitch, Richardson and Terry signed autographs for the fans as part of the promotion.
The game pitted the Newark Bears against the York Revolution. The Bears lineup read like that of a Major League almuni team, with the likes of Armando Benitez, Carl Everett, Jay Gibbons, Keith Foulke, Aaron Fultz, Bobby Hill and Tike Redman all making appearances during the game. Both Everett and Castillo hit towering homeruns and the bullpen was led by Benitez and Foulke, with Benitez pitching a scoreless 8th and Foulke sealing the deal in the 9th for the 8-5 win. After the game, Benitez said, "I want to show the Major League teams that I am healthy to play and that I can help." He felt content about his role, alternating with Foulke between set-up man and closer. "The coaches have helped me out, and made me feel good about being here. We both know we can help the club, and at the same time we can show we can be useful on that level again."
The trio was in town along with David Mantle to honor Bears Bench Coach Tony Ferrara. The Bears hung a permanent flag in right field to honor Ferrara's countless years of service in professional baseball. Ferrara played in the 1950's as a farmhand in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, and was a long time batting practice pitcher and scout for the New York Yankees. During the on-field ceremony, Ferrara remarked that, "it is a proud moment in my life to be honored here." Ferrara is pictured on the left alongside Ford during the pre-game ceremonies.
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| Bobby Richardson, Ralph Terry and David Mantle |
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| Alberto Castillo Connects For a Homerun |
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| Carl Everett Takes One Deep |
