Offseason improvements to Dutchess Stadium will be on display this weekend, when the Hudson Valley Renegades (Short Season A; NY-Penn League) play their 2019 home opener.
Ahead of the 2019 New York-Penn League season, the Renegades did plenty of work to revamp the fan experience at Dutchess Stadium. Part of this involved modifying the ballpark’s concession offerings, as the team has announced reduced pricing for many items, the addition of a stand that offers healthier food options, and more.
Perhaps the biggest change to Dutchess Stadium has taken place in the seating bowl, where new seats have been installed as the result of an agreement between the Renegades and Dutchess County. Not only will the seating project update the ballpark’s aesthetics, but the Renegades and general manager Steve Gilner expect that fans will benefit from increased comfort. The new seats are in place ahead of the Renegades’ 2019 home opener on Sunday. More from the Poughkeepsie Journal:
In December, the Dutchess County Legislature voted in favor of measure to authorize the county to set aside $2.4 million to renovate Dutchess Stadium, automatically extending the organization’s agreement with Dutchess County by five years.
As a result, the old stadium seats were swapped out during the offseason for newer chairs. The new seats are blue, in accordance with the Renegades team colors, which were changed from maroon, green and navy blue to black, white and blue in 2013.
A portion of the grandstands in the left and right field sides that only featured bench seating now have real seats that feature cupholders.
The once-molded chairs in the seating behind home plate now flip for more comfortably, and also have cupholders.
“I think when the fans come out for the first time on Sunday, or throughout the season, they’re going to really be excited to see the improvements and the upgrade and the comfortability with this building,” Gliner said. “All the seating in here is pretty much upgraded from where we had it last year.”
The Renegades will begin the season with a two-game road series at Aberdeen starting Friday, before returning to Dutchess Stadium to face the Lowell Spinners in Sunday’s home opener. Dutchess Stadium originally opened in 1994.