Hudson Valley Renegades Pay Homage to Kingdom of Bhutan in Recent Game

Closing plan

The Hudson Valley Minor League Renegades, inspired by the growth of baseball in the South Asian country, are showing a group of players the potential of the sport

Visiting baseball and softball players joined the Renegades for pre-game ceremonies on the night that showcased Bhutan.Dave Janosz / Hudson Valley Renegades

On August 20, the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Yankees’ Class A minor league team, took on the Wilmington Blue Rocks in front of their home fans. Instead of wearing their traditional white and navy striped jerseys, the Renegades wore a jersey inspired by the Kingdom of Bhutan as part of a theme night highlighting the kingdom, its athletes, and the growth of baseball in the small South Asian nation.

While minor league clubs are no strangers to themed nights and unique uniform and branding concepts, the Renegades took advantage of the opportunity to treat a dozen baseball and softball athletes from Bhutan to a unique VIP experience that lasted nearly a week.

“The athletes’ baseball knowledge came entirely from the classes they were getting, as well as YouTube, through clips and videos like that,” said Zach Betkowski, general manager of the Hudson Valley Renegades. “I felt like there was an opportunity to say that the Renegades could be a pioneer and essentially be the first minor league team to go international.”

The idea for the event came after Betkowski read an article and a viral photo of a baseball game in front of the Great Buddha Dordenma statue in Bhutan. In the small country of 700,000 people, baseball has become the fastest-growing sport, with more than 6,000 children now playing.

After reading the article several times, Betkowski reached out to Matt DeSantis, president of the Bhutan Baseball and Softball Association, hoping to find a way to help his cause.

“In my head, the first idea I had was how do we get hats and jerseys and T-shirts into the hands of these kids, combat international shipping rates and the other challenges that would probably come with that,” Betkowski said. “But we took the call and immediately had this synergy … and just talking to him, even on that first call, we came away with a much bigger idea, which is kind of the idea you see here today.”

The auction of match-worn jerseys raised funds for the operation.Dave Janosz / Hudson Valley Renegades

Through fundraising efforts ranging from a silent auction of Bhutan game-worn jerseys and other Renegades memorabilia to the sale of replica jerseys and other donations, the Renegades raised nearly $63,000 to cover the cost of the trip. Diamond Baseball Holdings, the club’s ownership group, donated $25,000 toward the effort. The Renegades sold all of their Bhutan-themed jerseys at the team store after the first inning.

Betkowski and his Hudson Valley team put together a jam-packed experience for the athletes, including a baseball clinic at Heritage Financial Park; two days of baseball in the Hudson Valley; a Yankees experience, which included the chance to take batting practice on the field before watching the Bronx Bombers take on the Cleveland Guardians; and tours of MLB headquarters in New York City.

While this trip could be considered a first in many ways, it was also the first opportunity for the athletes to see what baseball and sports offer off the field.

“This is an opportunity for young people to see that there are career opportunities in sports, both on and off the field,” DeSantis said. “We focus so much on teaching kids the game, and we’ve never taken the time to let them know that there are many other elements of the game that create professional opportunities or career opportunities for them.”