Is the Honeymoon over in Granville?

This article was originally published at Black Bears Tracker on April 30, 2018.

Monongalia County Ballpark

Is the honeymoon over in Granville? I hope not. The West Virginia Black Bears are arguably the best entertainment value in the Morgantown area. But attendance has declined at Monongalia County Ballpark each year since the Black Bears relocated from Jamestown, New York in 2015.

Attendance at New York-Penn League (NYPL) games has been declining for the past several years, so what's happening in Granville is not a surprise. The numbers tell the story. Total attendance at New York-Penn League games have declined from 1,890,053 in 2002 to 1,403,575 in 2017 (source: numbertamer.com). Here's what has happened in Granville since the Black Bears arrived:

Year      Total Attendance     Number of home games     Average per game
2015           83,796                               37                               2,265
2016           78,774                               36                               2,188
2017           75,064                               37                               2,029
(Source: NYPL website)

Hopefully, attendance improves during the 2018 season. The Black Bears home opener is set for June 21 at Monongalia County Ballpark. Get ticket information at this link. 

On March 23, the Black Bears announced their 2018 promotion schedule. Not much new from previous seasons, but I recommend you mark your calendars for the West Virginia Moonshiners series on July 17,18 & 19, and the Kevin Newman Bobblehead Night on July 26.

See you at the ballpark.

Photo Credits: NY-Penn League News

NY-Penn League News is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the New York-Penn League, or the West Virginia Black Bears

Former New York-Penn League Prospect Albert Baur off to strong start at Bradenton

2015 Photo

Former New York-Penn League prospect Albert Baur is off to a strong start with the Bradenton Marauders this season. In 26 games, Bauer is hitting .337/.379/.511 with four home runs and 18 RBI.

Baur was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 28th round of the 2015 draft out of Newberry College (South Carolina). He spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Pirates farm team in Granville, West Virginia and played the entire 2017 with the West Virgina Power in the South Atlantic League.

In his last 10 appearances (see below) with the Marauders this season, Baur is hitting .395 with 2 home runs and seven RBI.

DATE	OPP	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
04/28/2018	@JUP	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	.316
04/29/2018	@JUP	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.300
05/01/2018	DUN	4	0	1	0	2	0	1	0	.297
05/02/2018	DUN	4	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	.294
05/03/2018	DUN	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	.292
05/05/2018	@CHA	4	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	.303
05/06/2018	@CHA	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	.313
05/07/2018	@DUN	5	2	3	2	3	0	2	0	.329
05/08/2018	@DUN	3	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	.330
05/09/2018	@DUN	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	.337
TOTALS		38	4	15	2	7	2	4	0	.395

Photo Credits: MiLB.com

NY-Penn League News is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the New York-Penn League, or any of its teams

(This was originally posted at Black Bears Tracker)

NY-Penn League Trivia Question of the Day - May 3, 2018

Question: Including playoff games, how many games have the West Virginia Black Bears won since relocating to Granville, West Virginia from Jamestown, New York?

Answer: The West Virginia Black Bears have won 124 games since relocating to Granville, West Virginia (2015 regular season: 42-34, playoffs: 4-1; 2016 regular season: 38-38; 2017 regular season: 40-35).

Photo Credits: NY-Penn League News

NY-Penn League News is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or the New York-Penn League

Transactions involving former New York-Penn League Prospects

According to Baseball America the following former New York-Penn League prospects were released during the period of April 20-26, 2018.

Colby Lusignan (Batavia Muckdogs, 2016) was released by the Miami Marlins on April 22.

Kevin Krause (Jamestown Jammers, 2014 & West Virginia Black Bears,  2016) was released by the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 20.

Bradley Bowen (State College, 2016) was released by the St. Louis Cardinals on April 24.

Ty Hensley (Staten Island, 2014) was released by the Tampa Bay Rays on April 23.

Tyler Bray (State College, 2014-15) was released by the St. Louis Cardinals on April 24.

Brian Miller (Hudson Valley Renegades, 2014) was released by the Tampa Bay Rays on April 23.

NY-Penn League News is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or the New York-Penn League

Tweets from New York-Penn League Teams - May 2, 2018

NY-Penn League News is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or the New York-Penn League

NY-Penn League News Trivia Question of the Day - May 2, 2018

Question: What 1995 Jamestown Jammers' outfielder went on to a 12-year major league career and is now managing in the National League?

Answer: Gabe Kapler played in 63 games for the Jamestown Jammers in 1995, and is currently manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Photo Credit: MLB.com

NY-Penn League News is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or the New York-Penn League

Tweets from the New York-Penn League - May 1, 2018

NY-Penn League News is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or the New York-Penn League