Dutchess Stadium

Main entrance to Dutchess Stadium, Aug-2001.

A somewhat distinctive press and luxury box area stands out.

The view of Dutchess Stadium from the reserved seats.

• Location: NY 9D 1 mile north of Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, Town of Fishkill, N.Y.
• Opened: 1994
• Home team: Hudson Valley Renegades, New York-Penn League (1994-present)
• Capacity: 4,494

Rating: 3 baseballs

The park almost didn’t open on time, as workers were still busy hours before the first pitch and the construction cones were visible when the first spectators arrived, but they went ahead and played ball. Supporters of the team, the Hudson Valley Renegades, have been filling the park ever since.

Dutchess Stadium features a good long run of stadium-style box seats heading down each foul line, as well as a reserved section of bucket seats in front of the press box and sky boxes, and bench seating in the bleachers (half of which has backs and is sold as “reserved bleacher”). There is no roof over the grandstand, and spots from which to watch a game in drizzle and keep dry are practically nonexistent. Outfield dimensions are fairly standard. Interstate 84, and beyond it the Downstate Correctional Facility, are visible beyond right field in foul territory. A new, state-of-the-art scoreboard and widescreen video board were installed in 2004.

Helping make things fun for spectators here are the raccoon mascots, Rookie and Rene, who got “married” in 1997 and had a “son”, Rascal, in 2000 and another, Rufus, in 2004; and public address announcer Rick Zolzer, who managed to take a page from the St. Paul Saints and their “Fun Is Good” philosophy before he ever saw a Saints game. Ironically, the Goldklang Group (Marv Goldklang, Mike Veeck and Bill Murray) own both the Renegades and the Saints, along with several other minor and independent teams.

For the 2007 season, the Renegades added one of my favorite delicacies to their menu – grilled turkey legs. They were available at a “bistro” under the third-base bleacher. Dave Burke, the general manager who was at Fort Myers when I visited there in 2003 and had my first turkey leg at a ballpark, introduced the item. On the downside, parking at the facility is now $4; it was raised from $3 several seasons ago.