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A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Hudson valley

Summer of Baseball: The “Dutch” a good spot to see a game

November 2, 2015

Since I started hitting up baseball stadiums a bit more, Hudson Valley has been on my radar.

For one, it’s in the New York-Penn League and being I used to cover a team in that league, I’ve wanted to see every stadium. For two, it’s not too far of a trip for me, so it seems silly to not go see it!

All ready for a game at Hudson Valley!

All ready for a game at Hudson Valley!

The chance to see the stadium finally came this year.

Dutchess Stadium was built in 1994 and holes nearly 5,000 people. For a stadium that is a little more than 20 years old, it’s aged well. It has the feel of a smaller stadium, though. One thing, though, is the Renegades draw a solid crowd.

What’s interesting about the stadium though is that it was constructed in fewer than three months (71 days). According to the team website, workers were bolting seats into place when the gates opened for the first game.

Needless to say, the seats are in place now.

We sat in an interesting spot – a single row of chairs and a table-style setup down the third-base line. It’s a great view for a game and it was comfortable because you actually had some space.

The food selection was solid, that’s for sure. But here’s a tip for the future – if you sit in the seats where we did, don’t worry about taking advantage of the “in-seat” service. I say this because when we were there, it was one person doing all the work. The service, unfortunately, was slow and I didn’t get my check until the ninth – and the change didn’t come until the game ended. That’s not a good thing.

We had a great night for a game!

We had a great night for a game!

On the flip side, the person I was with at the game went and got his own food and the selection and prices were all pretty solid. There was a pretty good beer selection. Though the concourse wasn’t fully open, it was a good stroll to check things out. The walk-in team store had a decent selection of items and the prices weren’t too out of the ordinary.

The views were nice from each part I walked around to see.

One downer worth mentioning is that going in and out of the stadium is a two-lane highway. So, depending when you arrive or when you leave, you could be in a long line. The parking is ample, though it’s a little pricy for short-season Single-A at $5. I usually take my time when leaving, so the line wasn’t that big of a deal. Still, it’s something to think about.

The baseball here is solid. You can be close to the bullpens. You aren’t far from the action. In the end, it’s a pretty solid place to watch a game.

A funny note from the game we attended – it was fireworks night. Dutchess is an artificial turf stadium, but it’s the newer turf. For about 15 minutes after the game, they were watering the turf in centerfield, likely because it’s a way to make sure no sparks from the fireworks actually do any damage to the surface. It was still funny to see them watering turf.

In the end, it was a nice trip to take and an easy down-and-back for a day. It was pretty good baseball, too, and another NY-Penn stadium checked off my list.

Park Notes:  

Dutchess Stadium
Wappingers Falls, NY
Home of the Hudson Valley Renegades (Short-season Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays)
Visited on: June 26, 2015
Opponent: Vermont Lake Monsters (Short-season Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 7.5/10
  • Concessions: 8/10
  • Parking: 6.5/10
  • Ambiance: 7.5/10
  • Friendliness: 8/10

I am continuing the Summer of Baseball from 2014 and hope to blog about each new stadium I visit in 2015. Ones visited in the past can be viewed linked up in the 2014 version.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: Baseball, My world, Sports, Summer of Baseball, Travel Tagged With: baseball, baseball stadium review, dutchess stadium, Hudson valley, hudson valley renegades, minor league baseball, minor leagues, new york penn league, ny-penn league, renegades, stadium review, summer of baseball, summer of baseball 2015

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Summer of Baseball: Tri-City a fine place to catch a game

September 16, 2014

A summer trip to “The Joe” is definitely worthwhile, especially if you are within short distance of New York’s Capital Region.

Joseph L. Bruno Stadium sits on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College. It’s not what you would think about when you think of a community college stadium or one where a short-season Single-A team plays, that’s for sure.

A night of ball at The Joe!

A night of ball at The Joe!

Opened in 2002, the stadium is open-style, with a concourse that goes around the bulk of the stadium. There was spots to watch the game from the outfield and the main seating is fold-down plastic seats. There’s really not a bad place to watch a game, that’s for sure.

My first viewing of this stadium came several years ago, when I was still covering pro baseball for a local newspaper. The season before, the team I covered has been quite successful, so I got to head up the interstate to cover the opener at Tri-City. It was one of only two times I ever got to travel to cover the team, so it was pretty cool.

More than that, though, was liking the stadium. I walked around some, I peeked at what there was to offer. The press area was nice and they took care of you. But, even more so, was the overall stadium. What a feel for a game. They draw good crowds. They have a good announcer. There’s something for everybody.

I had the chance to visit two times this year, once for the Summer of Baseball Tour, and a second time as my final game of the year when I went up for the final game of the New York-Penn League Championship. The atmosphere was similar each time, though the wind as taken out of the home team’s sails in the first inning of the championship when State College scored nine runs.

When you come into the stadium, the team store is on your right. The store has a lot of goodies and the prices are pretty good. Walking into the main area, you’re greeted by a customer service area (where, if it’s your first game, you can get a button). There’s lineups on the wall nearby and each  baseline has a plethora of concessions to offer. There’s the normal ballpark fare, then a pizza station and a taco stand, local beers and more. So there are some pretty good offers. I didn’t see soft ice cream, though, which always gets to me as I’d rather just have a soft serve cone than hard ice cream, especially at a game.

Everything I need at a game!

Everything I need at a game!

And like many newer parks, if you get up to visit a concession stand, you can see the field. The big scoreboard in right field is nice to keep track of things, too.

At the first game we attending, one friend caught a foul ball, so that was cool. The second game I went solo, so I just relaxed with my scorebook and watched the Spikes win the championship.

Parking, too, is plentiful — and free. This is also another stadium that gives programs away for free, which is always welcome. The atmosphere is nice and everybody I dealt with was extremely friendly and helpful when needed. If I lived in the Capital Region, I’d likely be a season ticket holder as it’s a great sport to watch baseball. If you are a baseball fan and are in the area, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Park Notes:  

Joseph L. Bruno Stadium — “The Joe”
Troy, New York
Home of the Tri-City Valley Cats (short-season Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros)
Visited on: Friday, July 25 and Monday, September 8
Opponent: Staten Island Yankees (short-season Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees) and the State College Spikes (short-season Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8.5/10
  • Concessions: 7.5/10
  • Parking: 8.5/10
  • Ambiance: 9/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

I am embarking on a summer of baseball with the plan to hit a minimum of 10 stadiums this summer. Hopefully, there will be more than that. I will report on each park that I hit on the blog.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: Baseball, My world, Summer of Baseball Tagged With: albany, baseball, baseball trip, Bruno stadium, Hudson valley, Hudson valley community college, joseph l Bruno stadium, minor league baseball, summer of baseball, the joe, tri-city valley cats, tri-city valleycats, troy, valley cats, valleycats

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