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The Hudson Valley Renegades feel like a summer institution in these parts. It’s easy to forget that the ’Gades have only been around since 1994. But in this, their 15th season in the Fishkill-Wappingers area, the team has become such an important part of the fabric of the community, it’s hard to imagine a time when locals didn’t have the opportunity to catch a professional baseball game right in their own backyard.
The Renegades – a short season, single-A affiliate of the suddenly relevant Tampa Bay Rays – have won one league title in their short history (1999) and have had their share of team success. They have also helped birth a number of Major League success stories, including current Rangers reclamation project and Home Run Derby superstar Josh Hamilton, as well as Rays’ rookie sensation Evan Longoria. And maybe – just maybe – the ’08 Renegades will be remembered as the team on which another budding superstar got his start, powerful right fielder Jason Corder.
Corder is originally from Mission Viejo, Calif. He played his college ball at Cal Berkeley and Long Beach State before getting drafted this year by the Rays in the seventh round (No. 203 overall). And now, in his first year of professional baseball, Corder is tearing up the New York Penn League with a .352 average, good for third in the league. He also has three home runs, 15 RBI and 15 runs scored in just 22 games.
“It’s been exciting,” said Corder of his first year as a professional. “It’s been different playing every single day. In college we played 67 games in five months. Now we’re playing 80 in about three months, so it’s definitely been challenging mentally.”
Team off to solid start
It hasn’t affected his stats, though, nor his team in the early season. As of July 15, the Renegades were 15-12 and in second place in the McNamara Division. First year manager Joe Alvarez has helped turn around a squad that went only 34-42 last year. And Alvarez knows that Corder is no small part of that change of fortunes.
“Jason is one of the few guys on our team that potentially has a lot of power,” said Alvarez of his cleanup hitter. “He’s right in the middle of our lineup and the last 10 days he has been swinging particularly well.”
Corder, who also has a strong outfield arm, agrees that the long ball is his specialty.
“Power is definitely my biggest asset,” he said. “I can also hit to all fields. I’m more of an aggressive hitter. I see the ball and hit the ball. I don’t like to get too deep into counts.”
Whatever he’s doing, it’s working. And while dreams of making it to The Show are always in the back of his mind, Corder insists that for now, he’s just focusing on winning.
“It’s always a thought,” he said of moving up the organizational ladder. “But everyone has to pay his dues and work his way up. It doesn’t come easy. Right now I’m focused on helping this team win. That’s always the goal in sports. I try not to think about the other stuff. And hopefully one day, I’ll be blessed enough to make it (to the Major Leagues).”
“I believe he could play at a higher level,” said Alvarez. “How high? I’m not sure. His bat will do the talking for him. He creates excitement whenever he comes to home plate. I’m looking forward to him carrying a lot of the offensive load for us.”
“Since I was 2 or 3 years old, I have wanted to be a baseball player,” said Corder, who is aiming to make the fourth annual New York-Penn League All-Star Game in Troy on Aug. 19. “I told myself I wasn’t going to stop until I made it.”
With the Major League Rays finally reaping the benefits of their young, athletic core, Corder might one day find himself roaming the outfield of a winning team at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Until then, he’s content to thrill Hudson Valley baseball fans with his potent bat.
Better get out to Dutchess Stadium soon. He might not be there very long.
