Fireworks shows are a major-league staple

FISHKILL, N.Y. — The lights were out, and Dutchess Stadium was dark. But every time another salvo from Frank Coluccio's fireworks display lit the sky, 9-year-old Dwyer Bradley could be seen jumping up and down in the flash of light.

This was opening night for the Hudson Valley Renegades and the first of nine fireworks shows for the short-season Single-A team.

"It's one of the top, if not the best, promotion just because of the extravaganza," said Renegades general manager Dave Burke, whose team plays 38 home games. "It markets toward all ages. Kids love it. Adults still love it. There's something Americana about fireworks."

Over the past decade, multiple fireworks' nights have become a staple of the promotional schedule for minor-league baseball teams, as close to a guaranteed sellout as possible.

Bradley's parents, Sean and Leanne of Shrub Oak, N.Y., have a particular reason to appreciate fireworks night at Dutchess Stadium. It allows them to keep track of their six children rather than facing the stress of walking them through the crowds at a larger local show.

"We love coming here for the Fourth of July because it's a nice place to bring your family for fireworks," said Leanne Bradley, seated behind home plate for the Renegades' opener along with her husband, their daughters Callaghan, 14, Glynn, 7, Gavin Mary, 5, and Dwyer, and sons, Regan, 12, and Murphy, 2. "It's a great combo. You have minor- league baseball and fireworks. It makes the Fourth of July special."

Coluccio, the 60-year-old CEO of Wappingers Falls, N.Y.-based Legion Fireworks, arrives several hours before the 7:05 p.m. first pitch to begin setting up his fireworks just behind the outfield fence.

He'll design the 10-minute shows on his computer, then go to his warehouse, where it can take up to four hours to gather his materials.

"I'll do July 4, and the theme is red, white and blue," Coluccio said. "The kids like a lot of noise, a lot of salutes, a lot of colors."

But the time is past when fireworks nights were exclusively pegged for the July 4 holiday. The Renegades, as well as fellow New York-Penn League teams the Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees, have a show scheduled for every Friday home game.

The Cyclones, however, are in partnership with their amusement park neighbors, so there's a show at Coney Island every Friday night, regardless of whether there's a baseball game. As a result of their fireworks partnership, the Cyclones know the Coney Island displays must begin no later than 10 p.m.