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I grew up about 30 miles from Denver, and during the time I lived in Colorado, the only pro baseball game in town was the Bears. They played AAA ball, but it was exciting. I lived near Denver from 1961-86 (with times away doing a hitch in the Marines, and attending college). I remember the evolution from the Bears to Zephyrs (which wasn't a popular switch). I watched the Bears change parent clubs time and again, which always kept the team interesting.
When I first moved to Denver, the Bears were a farm team of the Tigers. Over the years they had the Braves, Twins, Senators, White Sox, Expos and a few other teams. My fondest memories were with the teams of the mid-late 60's, when I was a kid and absolutely loved baseball. The 1968 team had future major leaguers Graig Nettles at third, Bob Oliver and Pat Kelly in the outfield, George Mitterwald behind the plate, Ron Theobald at second, Rick Renick at short, and the ace was Jerry Crider. The relief specialist was Art Fowler, who spent nine years in the majors and won 54 games (all after age 31). The chunky WWII veteran was 46 when the season ended, but he was outstanding in relief. He was also the pitching coach.
But the best thing about the 1968 Bears, was Billy Martin, the manager. What a character. Actually, Johnny Goryl was the manager at the beginning of the season, and the Bears got off to a dismal 7-28 start. The Twins replaced Goryl with Martin and the Bears went on a tear in the old PCL. They finished 75-73, thus, Martin's team went 68-45. Martin was a fan favorite, and on occasion, he'd get into the stands and chat with the fans. I remember one time, when the Padres (San Diego's last season in AAA ball) were clobbering the Bears 16-7. Martin was frustrated and a bunch of drunk Denverites were bombing him with comments the whole game. Finally, with nothing else to do, Billy hopped into the stands and shared a beer with the drunks - to the applause of the entire stadium.
Good times. The Bears were usually very competitive and drew extremely well for a minor league team. And it didn't cost a whole lot to attend the games. Of course, AAA ball is a good brand of baseball. You see the stars on the way up - and those on the way down.
Mile High Stadium was originally called Bears' Stadium. When Lou Saban became head coach of the Broncos and helped to orchestrate an expansion of the stadium, many thought it wasn't a good idea for the Broncos to play in a stadium named after a minor league team (even though, the old AFL Broncos played like one). Thus, the name Mile High was born.
When the Rockies were just a thought, many a Denver fan wanted the name "Bears" to be the team name.
I, of course, am a Cardinal fan by birthright (if Denver would have had MLB when I was a kid, I would probably be a fan - like I am with the Broncos). My AL team is the Orioles (nee St. Louis Browns - the organization my Grandfather played for).
How many on the Rockies' board are former Denver Bear (Zephyr
h , that name never caught on) fans?
When I first moved to Denver, the Bears were a farm team of the Tigers. Over the years they had the Braves, Twins, Senators, White Sox, Expos and a few other teams. My fondest memories were with the teams of the mid-late 60's, when I was a kid and absolutely loved baseball. The 1968 team had future major leaguers Graig Nettles at third, Bob Oliver and Pat Kelly in the outfield, George Mitterwald behind the plate, Ron Theobald at second, Rick Renick at short, and the ace was Jerry Crider. The relief specialist was Art Fowler, who spent nine years in the majors and won 54 games (all after age 31). The chunky WWII veteran was 46 when the season ended, but he was outstanding in relief. He was also the pitching coach.
But the best thing about the 1968 Bears, was Billy Martin, the manager. What a character. Actually, Johnny Goryl was the manager at the beginning of the season, and the Bears got off to a dismal 7-28 start. The Twins replaced Goryl with Martin and the Bears went on a tear in the old PCL. They finished 75-73, thus, Martin's team went 68-45. Martin was a fan favorite, and on occasion, he'd get into the stands and chat with the fans. I remember one time, when the Padres (San Diego's last season in AAA ball) were clobbering the Bears 16-7. Martin was frustrated and a bunch of drunk Denverites were bombing him with comments the whole game. Finally, with nothing else to do, Billy hopped into the stands and shared a beer with the drunks - to the applause of the entire stadium.
Good times. The Bears were usually very competitive and drew extremely well for a minor league team. And it didn't cost a whole lot to attend the games. Of course, AAA ball is a good brand of baseball. You see the stars on the way up - and those on the way down.
Mile High Stadium was originally called Bears' Stadium. When Lou Saban became head coach of the Broncos and helped to orchestrate an expansion of the stadium, many thought it wasn't a good idea for the Broncos to play in a stadium named after a minor league team (even though, the old AFL Broncos played like one). Thus, the name Mile High was born.
When the Rockies were just a thought, many a Denver fan wanted the name "Bears" to be the team name.
I, of course, am a Cardinal fan by birthright (if Denver would have had MLB when I was a kid, I would probably be a fan - like I am with the Broncos). My AL team is the Orioles (nee St. Louis Browns - the organization my Grandfather played for).
How many on the Rockies' board are former Denver Bear (Zephyr
h , that name never caught on) fans?
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