The High-A Hudson Valley Renegades will play four times next season as the Cider Donuts, a tribute to a regional, seasonal delicacy associated with New York state. The team’s alternate logo, the latest in a long line of food-based brands in minor league baseball, features new mascot Dusty the Donut running with an apple baseball in one hand and a jug of cider in the other.
The region lays claim to the invention of apple cider donuts in the mid-20th century, and today the Hudson Valley is home to more than 30 apple orchards and two dozen cideries. Per the team, cider donuts are made by adding apple cider and fall spices to a cake donut batter, then adding a coating of cinnamon sugar to the finished product.
“It is impossible to think about the fall season in the Hudson Valley without thinking of the smell and taste of warm apple cider donuts,” said Tyson Jeffers, General Manager of the Renegades, quoted on the team’s website. “The Hudson Valley is Cider Donuts country, and it’s time to share this fall delicacy with the world. Let’s ride!”
The Cider Donuts will debut June 3, 2023.
