Could the Renegades Leave The Hudson Valley?

The 10-year lease between the Hudson Valley Renegades and Dutchess Stadium expires next fall. Before the team renews their lease, the ownership group has a list of demands.

Team President Jeff Goldklang tells the Poughkeepsie Journal, that Dutchess Stadium needs improvements for its eight suites and renovations to other stadium seats. Goldklang added, “Any kind of edifice of this size, after 20 years, will have significant needs. The county understands that. We’d like upgrades to meet the standard that exists for the vast majority of baseball stadiums around the country.”

The Renegades play in the New York-Penn League; they are a short-season Class A Minor League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The stadium in Fishkill has been the Gades home since 1994. Attendance at Dutchess Stadium has always been at or near the top of the New York-Penn League.

Upgrades were made to Dutchess Stadium in 2006 following an extension of the Renegades lease. In 2014, a $1.1 million turf field was installed.

The Goldklang Group, who owns and operates the Renegades, also owns a host of other Minor League teams across the country. One such team, the St. Paul Saints opened up a new stadium this year which was named the “Best New Ballpark” by Ballpark Digest. The group is also asking the Charleston RiverDogs, an affiliate of the New York Yankees, to make upgrades to their stadium in South Carolina.

Preliminary discussions on a new lease have begun with Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. But negations won’t really begin until late this month or early January, when the team figures out the pricing for their list of demands.

The ownership group has shot down rumors that they are looking to relocate and say moving the team out of the Hudson Valley would be a last resort.