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08-20-2004, 12:27 AM
<b><font size=4>Cerone succeeds outside diamond</font>
Former catcher helped start Newark Bears franchise</b>
MILWAUKEE -- Don't think for a second that Brewers alum Rick Cerone is bored.
A veteran of 18 Major League seasons, Cerone served as a receiver for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos in a career that spanned from 1975 to 1992 at the Major League level.
He saw his greatest success on the diamond during the 1980 campaign when his .277 average, 14 home runs and 85 RBIs as a member of the New York Yankees earned him a spot on the American League All-Star team and votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) for the MVP award.
Cerone concluded his first run with the Yankees following the 1984 season and spent a year in Atlanta before suiting up for Milwaukee in 1986. Splitting time behind the plate with Charlie Moore and Bill Schroeder, he appeared in 68 games with the Brewers, posting a .259 average with four home runs and 18 RBI. Cerone's playing career came to a conclusion in 1992 after which he began dabbling in an array of different activities.
Life after baseball has featured a bit of broadcasting for the Yankees, Orioles, CBS Radio and the Baseball Network, an active involvement in minor league baseball, some sports marketing and recently a foray into real estate. Needless to say, Cerone's experiences both on the field and following his career have been anything but dull.
"It's been a wild ride," said Cerone. "There are a lot of things that intrigue me."
One of these intriguing things was the return of professional baseball to Newark, New Jersey after a 50-year hiatus. He entered into professional sports ownership initially in October of 1992 as a general partner with the Carolina League's Wilmington Blue Rocks. He remained a part of the Blue Rocks' organization until 1997 as he began focusing all of his attention on the establishment of the Bears and the formation of the Atlantic League.
Cerone's drive and passion, marked by living in a trailer on site and countless hours of devotion to this project, came to fruition with the opening of Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in 1999 and the return of baseball to Newark. It served as a crowning achievement for the native.
"It was an unbelievable experience," Cerone admitted. "We took an area of Newark that was dilapidated and rebuilt it. We were able to build a ballpark that many people admit reminds them of Camden Yards."
Cerone's commitment to the Newark community extends beyond the diamond. He co-established the Teach Our Children Foundation along with former New York Giants center Bart Oates in 1998 and created the Newark Bears Foundation two years later in 2000.
In June of 2000, Cerone was named spokesman for The Sharing Network, a Springfield, N.J.-based charity dedicated to recovering organs and tissues for lifesaving transplants in the Garden State. Additionally, in 2001, he helped establish the Knothole Gang, an organization that helps less fortunate area youth attend Bears games.
While he still maintains his ties to the Newark community and to the team, Cerone has branched off focusing his efforts on his sports marketing and consulting firm, Stellar Concepts, and his most recent venture, The Stellar Realty Group, which deals primarily in the commercial and industrial areas of the real estate market globally. Throughout it all, his dedication to succeed is readily apparent.
"If you put your mind to it, you can do it," added Cerone. "If you work hard enough, you can succeed."
<a href=http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2004/08/11/K6D5Iawe.jpg><img src=http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2004/08/11/K6D5Iawe.jpg border=0></a>
Rick Cerone's best year came with the 1980 Yankees, when he hit .277 with 85 RBIs.
Former catcher helped start Newark Bears franchise</b>
MILWAUKEE -- Don't think for a second that Brewers alum Rick Cerone is bored.
A veteran of 18 Major League seasons, Cerone served as a receiver for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos in a career that spanned from 1975 to 1992 at the Major League level.
He saw his greatest success on the diamond during the 1980 campaign when his .277 average, 14 home runs and 85 RBIs as a member of the New York Yankees earned him a spot on the American League All-Star team and votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) for the MVP award.
Cerone concluded his first run with the Yankees following the 1984 season and spent a year in Atlanta before suiting up for Milwaukee in 1986. Splitting time behind the plate with Charlie Moore and Bill Schroeder, he appeared in 68 games with the Brewers, posting a .259 average with four home runs and 18 RBI. Cerone's playing career came to a conclusion in 1992 after which he began dabbling in an array of different activities.
Life after baseball has featured a bit of broadcasting for the Yankees, Orioles, CBS Radio and the Baseball Network, an active involvement in minor league baseball, some sports marketing and recently a foray into real estate. Needless to say, Cerone's experiences both on the field and following his career have been anything but dull.
"It's been a wild ride," said Cerone. "There are a lot of things that intrigue me."
One of these intriguing things was the return of professional baseball to Newark, New Jersey after a 50-year hiatus. He entered into professional sports ownership initially in October of 1992 as a general partner with the Carolina League's Wilmington Blue Rocks. He remained a part of the Blue Rocks' organization until 1997 as he began focusing all of his attention on the establishment of the Bears and the formation of the Atlantic League.
Cerone's drive and passion, marked by living in a trailer on site and countless hours of devotion to this project, came to fruition with the opening of Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in 1999 and the return of baseball to Newark. It served as a crowning achievement for the native.
"It was an unbelievable experience," Cerone admitted. "We took an area of Newark that was dilapidated and rebuilt it. We were able to build a ballpark that many people admit reminds them of Camden Yards."
Cerone's commitment to the Newark community extends beyond the diamond. He co-established the Teach Our Children Foundation along with former New York Giants center Bart Oates in 1998 and created the Newark Bears Foundation two years later in 2000.
In June of 2000, Cerone was named spokesman for The Sharing Network, a Springfield, N.J.-based charity dedicated to recovering organs and tissues for lifesaving transplants in the Garden State. Additionally, in 2001, he helped establish the Knothole Gang, an organization that helps less fortunate area youth attend Bears games.
While he still maintains his ties to the Newark community and to the team, Cerone has branched off focusing his efforts on his sports marketing and consulting firm, Stellar Concepts, and his most recent venture, The Stellar Realty Group, which deals primarily in the commercial and industrial areas of the real estate market globally. Throughout it all, his dedication to succeed is readily apparent.
"If you put your mind to it, you can do it," added Cerone. "If you work hard enough, you can succeed."
<a href=http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2004/08/11/K6D5Iawe.jpg><img src=http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2004/08/11/K6D5Iawe.jpg border=0></a>
Rick Cerone's best year came with the 1980 Yankees, when he hit .277 with 85 RBIs.