Joseph L. Bruno Stadium – Tri-City ValleyCats
- Paul Baker
- Jun 21
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 25
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86
Joseph L. Bruno Stadium 80 Vandenburgh Ave Troy, NY 12180
Year Opened: 2002 Capacity: 6,500
The Show at The Joe
The Tri-City ValleyCats were victims of the Great Minor League Contraction of 2021. The team, which began play in 2002, were members of the New York-Penn League from their inception until the folding of the league. During their time in affiliated ball, the ValleyCats qualified for the NYPL playoffs nine times (a league record) and won three championships.
After being bumped from affiliated baseball, the franchise announced that it would be joining the independent Frontier League. In their first four seasons in the Frontier League, the ValleyCats have qualified for the playoffs once, in 2024. Even though the team has been out of affiliated baseball for half a decade, they still boast that 116 players went from “The Joe to The Show.”
The “Tri-Cities” are the three New York Cities that make up New York State’s Capital District: Albany, Troy and Schenectady. The home of the ValleyCats, Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, is located on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. The ballpark is named in honor of the New York State Senator who helped secure funding for the facility.
Food & Beverage 5
The two main concession stands are located on either side of the stadium entrance. Standard arena fare passes through these windows, as the menus in these stands consist of burgers, chicken tenders and hot dogs. All the expected snacks can be found here as well (french fries, nachos, pretzels, cotton candy, peanuts, etc.). There’s a good selection of beverages here, from hot beverages for those cold early-season nights, to a complete selection of sodas and beers.
Where Bruno Stadium shines is in the myriad small stands and food carts that line the concourse down both foul lines. Hungry ValleyCat fans will find anything they may need at these stands and carts, from coal-fired personal pizzas to your choice of traditional soft-serve or Mini-Melt ice cream. Vamos Tacos serves up a variety of Mexican favorites, from empanadas to burritos and tacos, to batting helmets filled with nachos.
Buddy’s Grill far down the right field line grills up sausage and pepper sandwiches, ½ pound burgers, bratwurst and salt potatoes. Down the left field line, Rowdy’s at the Joe and the Sam Adams Corner serve up drinks and snacks with dedicated tables and bar rails overlooking the field.
Coca-Cola products are featured at Bruno Stadium. Fans looking for an adult beverage will have no problem finding what they need at any stand in the ballpark. Check out the Taste of New York stand for wine or Vamos Tacos for margaritas. Fans of craft beer will undoubtedly head towards Brown’s Brewing, where a variety of locally brewed beers are sold, including the ValleyCats specialty beer, ValleyCats Pale Ale.
Atmosphere 4
As is the case with most minor league baseball teams, the staff of the ValleyCats do their best to fill the empty spaces in a ballgame with noise and activity to keep the casual and younger fans in attendance interested. The team holds a lot of the usual between innings games and contests, including dress like a ValleyCat, the pizza toss and more. Fans looking for swag can check out the information booth right by the entrance or the well-stocked team store.
Southpaw, the team’s mascot, roams the ballpark interacting with fans and taking part in the promotions. The sound system is good, and the emcee and PA announcer work in tandem to keep the action moving. There’s a well-stocked kids play area down the left field line for those younger fans needing to burn some energy. One drawback is the constant hum coming from the generator plant located just beyond the left-centerfield fence. It can be quite loud and distracting at times.
Neighborhood 3
Hudson Valley Community College is located in a mixed-use neighborhood on the outskirts of Troy, NY. Fans who haven’t visited Bruno Stadium in a while will notice a lot of new development in recent years.
Directly across the street from campus is a small strip mall containing a few eateries and small shops. A few chain restaurants, including a Chili’s, a Denny’s, a Cracker Barrel and an Applebee’s, are located near I-90. Fans looking to stay near campus will find a Residence Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Suites, and a College Suites nearby.
Fans looking for a bit more local flavor can head to downtown Troy, located a ten-minute drive away, or downtown Albany, a 12-minute drive away. Visiting fans looking to complete the Capital District trifecta will have to take a half hour drive to reach downtown Schenectady.
Fans 4
In 2024, the ValleyCats set a high-water mark for attendance since joining the Frontier League, drawing over 3,000 fans per game. This ranked the team third in the circuit. The strong numbers have continued thus far in 2025. The 3,000 fan milestone is an important one, as it has been identified by team ownership as necessary to ensure the viability of the franchise. However impressive this figure may be, it still lags a bit behind what the ValleyCats drew during their affiliated days. In 2019, the team’s last season in the New York-Penn League, the ValleyCats averaged 3,800 fans per game.
A crowd in Tri-City will look very familiar to fans who attend minor league baseball games regularly. There’s a good mix of dedicated die-hard fans, fans with a personal connection with the team (family members, host families), groups and families enjoying an affordable night of entertainment at the ballpark. There’s a good buzz going on in The Joe, and fans are into the action.
Access 4
Bruno Stadium is located on the eastern edge of the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. The campus, located on the southern edge of the city in a neighborhood with a suburban feel, is easily accessible if driving, as it is located near the intersection of Interstates 90 and 787. Once on campus, fans can arrive at the ballpark via either the North Drive or South Drive entrance. Bruno Stadium is located at the far end of the campus at the top of the hill, just be aware of the speed dips as you navigate campus roads. Fans taking public transportation can take the Capital District Transit Authority’s 85 or 224 buses to campus.
Fans can park in one of several lots located adjacent to the ballpark. The lots closest to the park are reserved for season ticket holders. The entry plaza to The Joe contains the ticket offices and team store. Fans will enter the ballpark directly onto the main concourse behind home plate. This concourse stretches from deep left field around to deep right field. Due to the presence of numerous portable carts and extra stands throughout Bruno Stadium, getting around the ballpark can be difficult at times.
Since The Joe is a fairly large ballpark, fans will have many choices for where to take in the action, including a pair of berms on either end of the seating bowl, bar seating at certain points, and group areas. The park is still intimate enough that all seats have good views of the action. A pair of restrooms are located by the main entrance to the ballpark. They are on the smaller side, but are large enough for the typical ValleyCats crowd.
Return on Investment 5
Tickets for ValleyCat games start at just $8 for berm seats, with prices maxing out at $14 for premium box seats. Waiting until the day of the game to get your tickets will increase the price by two dollars.
Parking is free in the lots adjacent to the ballpark. With affordable concessions prices, a ValleyCats game is a very affordable entertainment option for Capital District baseball fans.
Extras 2
As you enter Bruno Stadium, you will be greeted by a mural listing all the players who played in Tri-City and made it to the Major Leagues. The team is proud to share that 116 players made it from The Joe to The Show. Homer’s Bar, located just inside the entrance to the ballpark, features a great view of the game from behind home plate and a mural displaying all the ValleyCats’ championships.
Final Thoughts
Even though The Joe was a victim of Minor League Baseball’s downsizing, it remains a solid facility, and an excellent addition to the growing Frontier League. Here’s hoping that Capital District baseball fans realize that the ValleyCats remain as entertaining as ever, and that the baseball played on the field might actually be better than what they saw in their affiliated days.
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