MLB Attendance

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

When I catch a game or am watching highlights on ESPN, I can't believe how many empty seats there seem to be - especially Mets' games and Astros', but there are some others also.

Has it been this bad for a while, or just more recently?  If it's really getting that bad, how are these teams going to stay in business?

[jrulz83]

When I catch a game or am watching highlights on ESPN, I can't believe how many empty seats there seem to be - especially Mets' games and Astros', but there are some others also.

Has it been this bad for a while, or just more recently?  If it's really getting that bad, how are these teams going to stay in business?

Dude, it's April. School is still going, attendance is always tough this time of year. Of course the Astros and Mets suck, so that could be a factor.

[clutch]

The Astros are one of the most profitable teams because of their embarrassingly low payroll.

[Ray Piggers]

The Rays are the biggest example of this. They win ball games, have a good team year in and year out, and have no one in the stands..


They deserve better than Tampa Bay.

[ErieHog]

When I catch a game or am watching highlights on ESPN, I can't believe how many empty seats there seem to be - especially Mets' games and Astros', but there are some others also.

Has it been this bad for a while, or just more recently?  If it's really getting that bad, how are these teams going to stay in business?

April and May attendance has always been this bad, particularly for day games and late night games on weekdays.  Mid-afternoons and weekends are far better attended.

[Jeff "hogfanintx" Anderson]

The Rays are the biggest example of this. They win ball games, have a good team year in and year out, and have no one in the stands..


They deserve better than Tampa Bay.

Most baseball fans in Florida are retired New Yorkers. Tons of Yankee fans in Tampa / Saint Pete area.  Their spring training facility close by as well.

[ChicoHog]

The Rays are the biggest example of this. They win ball games, have a good team year in and year out, and have no one in the stands..


They deserve better than Tampa Bay.

MLB made a mistake putting a team there and maybe even in Miami.  There is no loyalty or tradition and as another poster said most people are transplanted Yankee or Red Sox fans.  I think the Rays or marlins would be much more appreciated and a have better attendance if located in nashville, Charlotte, Portland, Louisville or Indianapolis. 

[Jackrabbit Hog]

The Marlins franchise has never ever drawn well.  A few years ago they made a conscious decision to cater to the Latin American crowd but that was disastrous on two fronts:  1. They hired Ozzie Guillen and he immediately alienated everybody with his loose cannon views; and,  2. They didn't realize that the majority of the Latin Americans that lived in that area were below the poverty line so they couldn't afford to go to games. 

Baseball, more than any other sport, seems to depend on the tradition of the city and its team to draw fans.  St. Louis is the perfect example.  Best baseball city in the country and consistenly draws over 3 million despite being one of the smaller cities population-wise.