Hudson Valley Cider Donuts? Why Renegades will take field with alternate identity
FISHKILL − Their hope, of course, is that Hudson Valley Renegades fans in the coming years will be rollin’ in dough.
The minor-league baseball organization debuted its “alternate identity” on Tuesday, unveiling an apple cider donut logo that will brand its new alternate uniforms and caps next season, offering a nod to the region.
Dusty the Donut, is the lighthearted mascot who will mark the apparel the team will wear during four games next summer in which the Renegades will be known as the Cider Donuts.
The Dutchess Stadium concessions stands also will sell apple cider and the donuts ― edible ones ― throughout the season.
“There’s a lot of alternate identity brands we want to introduce in the future, but the cider donut is one that we felt had the most layers to capture a broad audience,” Renegades General Manager Tyson Jeffers said following the introductory press conference. “Not to mention, it’s extremely popular in this area.”
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Indeed, the sugary pastry is an unofficial signature food of the Hudson Valley, having been advertised here as far back as 1924, more than a quarter-century before it was advertised in New York City. With its spiced-apple flavor and cake-like texture, the donut has become a local delicacy, with Fishkill Farms reporting in 2019 that it sells as many as 12,000 per day during the fall.
The Renegades have been a minor-league affiliate of the New York Yankees since 2020, following a canceled season amid the pandemic. They previously were tied to the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays, but the organization has been a Fishkill fixture since its founding in 1994.
As a full-season Class A team, the Renegades have 64 home games from April to September. They drew an average of about 2,900 fans per game last season.
“It’s a really attractive brand and we hope people beyond this region will like the look,” Jeffers said of the merchandise, which is available for purchase on the team website. “For Hudson Valley residents who love cider donuts, I can see them repping it on their chest and wearing it with pride.”
The Renegades' traditional logo and pinstriped uniform will remain, but on four dates − beginning June 3 − the team will sport jerseys with a brown and green colorway and “Cider Donuts” emblazoned across the chest. There is a noticeable circle of brown absent from the center of the jersey which, of course, is the donut “O.”
Several minor and independent league organizations have food-related mascots, including the Montgomery Biscuits and Fresno Grizzlies, a Colorado Rockies affiliate whose alternate identity is the Tacos. And, lest we forget, the Macon Bacon and Savannah Bananas of the Coastal Plain League.
Only a few Yankees staffers were given a preview of the new gear and it was kept secret as a surprise even to the players, Jeffers said. But this plan had been in the works for years.
The idea first was floated in 2019, but COVID-19 kiboshed that and the entire 2020 season. The discussion resumed in the 2021 offseason and the idea was submitted to Major League Baseball in March for approval.
This is one of several alternate identity get-ups the Renegades have come up with. And “if this one is successful,” Jeffers said, “it’s going to give us a runway to do more” in the coming years.
Well, so long as fans don't glaze over this promotion.
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Hudson Valley Cider Donuts: Renegades unveil new alternate uniforms
