Hudson Valley Renegades

I went to the Hudson Valley Renegades game last night. The 'Gades are a minor league baseball team playing in Dutchess Stadium (Beacon, NY). They are in the New York - Penn League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The league is a "Class A Short Season League," playing from June to September. The players are kids - 18 or 19 years old to 25 or so.

It was a fun evening. A small, hometown feeling. Stands filled with families, teenagers, kids. Lots of hokey contests on the field between innings (example - three men with toy baby strollers needed to quickly roll the strollers to tables, change the diaper of the doll in the stroller, and roll it back to the finish line. Winner got some sort of gift certificate to a local business.)

A chance to see some potential major leaguers (according to Wikipedia, "The Hudson Valley organization has also produced major leaguers such as Scott Podsednik, Ryan Dempster, Joe Kennedy, and Toby Hall.")

The 'Gades lost the game, 8-5, to the Batavia Muckdogs.