Hudson Valley Renegades

History

The Renegades began play in 1994 when the Erie Sailors relocated from Pennsylvania to the Hudson Valley, rebranding as the Hudson Valley Renegades. The name was chosen from four finalists in a name-the-team contest, beating out Vipers, Venom, and Hawks. The team originally retained the Sailors' existing affiliation with the Texas Rangers organization but became an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays organization in 1996, even though the major league team would not start playing until 1998. The Renegades became an affiliate club of the New York Yankees in 2021.

New York-Penn League

The Renegades won three New York–Penn League championships in 1999, 2012, and 2017. The team has had a number of future major leaguers such as Scott Podsednik, Jorge Cantu, Ryan Dempster, Joe Kennedy, Craig Monroe, Matt Diaz, Evan Longoria, Josh Hamilton, John Jaso, Wade Davis, and Toby Hall as players.

On August 10, 2000, Doug Waechter threw the only no-hitter in Renegades history against the Pittsfield Mets.

In October 2005, Scott Podsednik became the first former Renegade to win a World Series with the Chicago White Sox defeating a Houston Astros club which included former Renegades Brandon Backe and Dan Wheeler.

High-A East/South Atlantic League

In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Renegades were placed into the High-A East. They won the 2021 Northern Division title with a first-place 71–49 record. Despite winning the division, their record was third-best in the league, and only the two teams with the highest winning percentages in the regular season competed for the league championship.

In 2022, the High-A East became known as the South Atlantic League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.

Ownership

The original owner of the team was the Goldklang Group headed by Marvin Goldklang, which also had stakes in several other minor league baseball teams, including the Charleston RiverDogs and St. Paul Saints. In December 2021, it was announced that The Goldklang Group sold the Renegades to Diamond Baseball Holdings, which as of 2023 is owned by Silver Lake, an American global private equity firm.

Mascots

The team's mascots are a family of anthropomorphic raccoons. "Rookie" the Raccoon appeared first and Rene Gade in late 1995. The pair was married "in an on-field ceremony" on July 20, 1997. Occasionally, Rookie's father Roofus also appears as part of the mascot team. Their raccoon mascot son Rascal was born in 2000 who married a skunk named Rosie on July 20, 2024.

In December 2023, the mascots participated in a holiday yule log event.

Team promotions include a "Fun Team" that promotes between-inning entertainment. Former manager Matt Quatraro coined the nickname "Gades" in 2000.

Roster

Playoffs

• 1995 season: Lost to Vermont 2-0 in semifinals.
• 1998 season: Lost to Oneonta 2-0 in semifinals.
• 1999 season: Defeated Utica 2-1 in semifinals; defeated Mahoning Valley 2-1 to win championship.
• 2012 season: Defeated Brooklyn 2-1 in semifinals; defeated Tri-City 2-1 to win championship.
• 2014 season: Lost to State College 2-1 in semifinals.
• 2016 season: Defeated Lowell 2-0 in semifinals; lost to State College 2-0 in finals.
• 2017 season: Defeated Staten Island 2-1 in semifinals; defeated Vermont 2-0 to win championship.
• 2018 season: Defeated Auburn Doubledays 2-0 in semifinals; lost to Tri-City ValleyCats 2-0 in finals.
• 2019 season: Lost to Brooklyn 2-1 in semifinals.
• 2023 season: Defeated Jersey Shore 2-1 in semifinals; lost to Greenville 2-0 in finals.
• 2024 season: Defeated Greensboro 2-1 in semifinals; lost to Bowling Green 2-1 in finals.

References

References

1. "South Atlantic League Official Colors (1980 through present)".
2. (September 7, 2022). "Steve Gliner Departs Renegades; Jeffers and Betkowski Promoted".
3. Reichard, Kevin. (October 5, 2023). "Personnel Moves: Jeffers to Spartanburg, Betkowski Promoted at Hudson Valley Renegades".
4. (5 February 1994). "Renegades win baseball club's name game". Poughkeepsie Journal.
5. (November 7, 2020). "New York Yankees Announce New Minor League Affiliation Structure". MLB.com.
6. "Hudson Valley Renegades".
7. Mayo, Jonathan. (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues".
8. "2021 High-A East". Sports Reference.
9. Heneghan, Kelsie. (July 1, 2021). "Playoffs Return to the Minor Leagues".
10. (March 16, 2022). "Historical League Names to Return in 2022".
11. "Rookie the Renegade Gallery {{!}} Trading Card Database".
12. "Rookie the Renegade Gallery {{!}} Trading Card Database".
13. Thomaselli, Rich. (2013-05-20). "Hudson Valley Renegades 20th Anniversary: 20 Years, 20 Great Moments in Renegades Baseball History".
14. By. (1997-07-20). "HUDSON VALLEY TEAM TURNS BASEBALL INTO FAMILY AFFAIR".
15. "On the day of what is their 25th wedding anniversary, we officially retire Rookie and Rene’s jersey numbers! Here is a look back at what an amazing, fun... {{!}} By Hudson Valley Renegades {{!}} Facebook".
16. alavigne. (2016-04-04). "A Renegades Legacy: Rookie, Rene and Rascal".
17. Thomaselli, Rich. (2013-05-20). "Hudson Valley Renegades 20th Anniversary: 20 Years, 20 Great Moments in Renegades Baseball History".
18. alavigne. (2016-04-04). "A Renegades Legacy: Rookie, Rene and Rascal".
19. "Minor League mascots tie the knot between innings".
20. "2023 Renegades Holiday Yule Log".