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.

Chronological Tour: Stop 54

• Location: NY 9D 1 mile north of Newburgh-Beacon Bridge (I-84 exit 41), Town of Fishkill, N.Y. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1994 as Dutchess Stadium
• Additional names: Heritage Financial Park (2023)
• Home team: Hudson Valley Renegades, New York-Penn League (1994-2019), South Atlantic League (2021-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. The club was consistently near the top of the New York-Penn League attendance list during its tenure in that loop.

Getting to the Game

There is only one entry to the ballpark lots, which can make things congested, especially after the game. Town of Fishkill police (the same ones who don’t let you park in the retail lot across the street if you’re headed to the game) do regulate a signal manually at the end of a game, helping traffic flow a little better, but traffic has been known to bunch up at the I-84 interchange before and after games.

Watching the Game

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. A new, state-of-the-art scoreboard and widescreen video board were installed in 2004, and the field surface became artificial turf (except for the home plate area and the pitcher’s mound) in 2014. Lineup and standing boards are mounted in the concourse, from which one cannot see the game.

In addition, while game times are usually listed as five minutes past the hour, the club has a tendency to begin the game right at the top of the hour, so prepare to arrive early if you want to see the first pitch.

Enjoying the Game

The club has up to four raccoon mascots, depending on the game. Rookie, the original mascot, and Rene got “married” in 1997 and had a “son”, Rascal, in 2000 and another, Rufus, in 2004.

Public address announcer Rick Zolzer, who runs his own DJ entertainment company, believes at times that he is the show. Fortunately, in recent years he has toned his act down a little, and he also encourages recognition of fine play by both teams. Perhaps the best thing to say is that Zolz is, uh, an acquired taste.

The Goldklang Group (Marv Goldklang, Mike Veeck and Bill Murray) own the Renegades, along with the St. Paul Saints and several other minor and independent teams. Their philosophy is “Fun Is Good”, and Zolz and the rest of the game-day staff take that to heart.