Season opens at county-owned Heritage Financial Park

Apr 3

Written By HVNY

Renegades, aka the Cider Donuts, to take the field on Friday, Snooki included

‘Hey kids, let’s go on down to Heritage Financial Park to watch the Cider Donuts!’

That has a ring to it. So does $25 million.

No, that’s not what Yankees slugger Aaron Judge will be getting paid this season as captain of the Bronx Bombers. That’s the amount of money Dutchess County taxpayers are paying for upgrades this year at the county-owned park, recently renamed Heritage Financial Park, where the Hudson Valley Renegades, a High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, will take the field on Friday for their season opener.

Phase One of those upgrades are now complete, including new clubhouse, a dedicated locker room for female coaches and umpires, a new padded outfield wall, enclosed all-weather batting cages and a “cleaner, more modern aesthetic to the ballpark,” which was originally built in 1994.

“This first major wave of construction at the ballpark is necessary to create a better, safer environment for Renegades players at the park,” said Tyson Jeffers, General Manager of the Renegades. “These are necessary upgrades to improve player training and development facilities, and enhance player safety – ensuring that affiliated, professional baseball can exist in the Hudson Valley for years to come.”

BTS video of recent upgrades from the Hudson Valley Renegades

Funding for these upgrades were once slated to be covered by federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds during the pandemic, but rescinded after public backlash. However, in early December, the Dutchess County Legislature passed an amendment to the 2023 county budget to include the $25 million worth of “much-needed” upgrades as part of the county’s $587.7 million spending plan for the year. At the time, county comptroller Robin Lois sent an email to legislators saying the amendment “circumvents our county’s Capital Project Plan process …that was put in place to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure proper oversight.”

Subsequent phases of work at the ballpark are set to commence in the coming months, with details to follow, according to the organization. Despite still being owned by the county, by May, all signage referring to “Dutchess Stadium” will be replaced as part of the 10-year deal with the Heritage Financial Credit Union. According to a press release, in addition to the naming rights, Heritage Financial Credit Union will also “sponsor several new community engagement and fan experience initiatives.”

For the love of baseball … and donuts.

It’s not just the stadium getting a new name. While the Heritage Financial Credit Union's logo will be added to the team’s uniforms before opening day, the Renegades will also have two other identities to grapple with this season: The Fenómenos Enmascarados del Valle de Hudson branding will return after debuting in 2021 as part of the Copa de la Diversión program.

And, new for this season, as a nod to the region, the Renegades will suit up as the Cider Donuts for four games, with their new mascot Dusty the Donut (though Rascal shall not be replaced).

Season highlights: A SNOOKI BOBBLEHEAD

Yes, you may get the chance to see the next Anthony Volpe on the field in Wappingers, but you can be guaranteed to see Snooki, and get a bobblehead of the Marlboro native and star of MTV’s Jersey Shore during a VIP meet-and-greet on September 8, 2023.

In addition to 21 firework shows after the game, new promotions include T-Shirt Tuesdays for the first 1,000 fans, Dollar Hot Dog Thursdays, three Kids Eat Free games, and AI Night when the entire promotions script for the night will be generated by Artificial Intelligence software. See the full promo schedule, here.

The Renegades will begin their 2023 season at home against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Friday, April 7, 2023. For tickets, and more info, head to: https://www.milb.com/hudson-valley

(Aaron Judge, by the way, is getting $360 million for the next 9 years. This newsletter, on the other hand, is 100-percent free all of the time. So is the HVNY website. Not flooded with ads either. Donate today to keep it that way, or shop the shop.)