Stephon Marbury has found an ally in the Hudson Valley Renegades. Hudson Valley — the Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays — has decided to honor Steph by sitting one out.
By one, I mean one entire month of home games.
Via a press release from the Renegades:
FISHKILL, NY (December 7, 2008) – As a sign of support for maligned New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York-Penn League are refusing to play any home games in the month of May 2009.
“We’re just showing our support for bench players everywhere. If Stephon doesn’t want to play we’ll support that by not playing ourselves,” said Renegades General Manager Eben Yager.
The ballclub, located in Fishkill, NY, will resume play on Friday, June 19 2009 versus the Aberdeen IronBirds.
The following night on June 20th the Renegades will host a Tribute to Benchwarmers in an effort to show continued support for our favorite substitutes.
The first 1,500 fans will receive an opportunity to “grab some pine” upon entrance with their very own wooden seat cushion. A ceremony will honor famous bench players throughout all major sports, and between innings contests will include a Mark Madsen Dance-off and Over-the-Head Towel Twirling among others.
During the 2009 baseball season, the Renegades will also debut the Starbury Seats, a single bench seat at field level which is available for one fan per game. Purchase of the Starbury Seats includes two hot dogs, a bag of peanuts, popcorn a large soda and a bottled water along with a complimentary Renegades t-shirt which reads, “I Rode the Pine at The Dutch.”
I live in proximity to this park, so there’s a good chance I might saunter up North and burn a pair of Starbury’s in the parking lot.
