{"id":9311,"date":"2015-11-02T09:00:57","date_gmt":"2015-11-02T13:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoohaa.com\/?p=9311"},"modified":"2015-11-02T00:24:01","modified_gmt":"2015-11-02T04:24:01","slug":"summer-of-baseball-the-dutch-a-good-spot-to-see-a-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoohaa.com\/?p=9311","title":{"rendered":"Summer of Baseball: The “Dutch” a good spot to see a game"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since I started hitting up baseball stadiums a bit more, Hudson Valley has been on my radar.<\/p>\n

For one, it\u2019s in the New York-Penn League and being I used to cover a team in that league, I\u2019ve wanted to see every stadium. For two, it\u2019s not too far of a trip for me, so it seems silly to not go see it!<\/p>\n

\"All

All ready for a game at Hudson Valley!<\/p><\/div>\n

The chance to see the stadium finally came this year.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s aged well. It has the feel of a smaller stadium, though. One thing, though, is the Renegades draw a solid crowd.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, the seats are in place now.<\/p>\n

We sat in an interesting spot \u2013 a single row of chairs and a table-style setup down the third-base line. It\u2019s a great view for a game and it was comfortable because you actually had some space.<\/p>\n

The food selection was solid, that\u2019s for sure. But here\u2019s a tip for the future \u2013 if you sit in the seats where we did, don\u2019t worry about taking advantage of the \u201cin-seat\u201d 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\u2019t get my check until the ninth \u2013 and the change didn\u2019t come until the game ended. That\u2019s not a good thing.<\/p>\n

\"We

We had a great night for a game!<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2019t 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\u2019t too out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n

The views were nice from each part I walked around to see.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s a little pricy for short-season Single-A at $5. I usually take my time when leaving, so the line wasn\u2019t that big of a deal. Still, it\u2019s something to think about.<\/p>\n

The baseball here is solid. You can be close to the bullpens. You aren\u2019t far from the action. In the end, it\u2019s a pretty solid place to watch a game.<\/p>\n

A funny note from the game we attended \u2013 it was fireworks night. Dutchess is an artificial turf stadium, but it\u2019s the newer turf. For about 15 minutes after the game, they were watering the turf in centerfield, likely because it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Park Notes: \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dutchess Stadium<\/strong>
\nWappingers Falls, NY<\/em>
\nHome of the Hudson Valley Renegades (Short-season Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays)
\nVisited on: June 26, 2015
\nOpponent: Vermont Lake Monsters (Short-season Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics)<\/p>\n

Ratings (out of 10)<\/p>\n