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Gainers and losers at the MLB turnstile so far this season

MichiganMichigan Posts: 4,942 ✭
in Sports Talk
Teams with the biggest change in attendance from 2008 to 2009, based on same number of home games:

Rays +59.6%
Marlins +56%
Pirates +19%

Nationals -30.4%
Braves -29.1%
Tigers -25.8%

Comments

  • lsutigers1973lsutigers1973 Posts: 11,093 ✭
    Those stats reflect the current state of the economy in each of those cities. I'm surprised that Detroit isn't #1 on the decline list.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,039 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Teams with the biggest change in attendance from 2008 to 2009, based on same number of home games:

    Rays +59.6%
    Marlins +56%
    Pirates +19%

    Nationals -30.4%
    Braves -29.1%
    Tigers -25.8% >>



    That Braves attendance decline is pathetic for a competing team. Maybe their fans figure the Phillies are going to run away with the NL East so it doesn't matter.
  • MichiganMichigan Posts: 4,942 ✭
    The Tigers I'm sure would be topping the attendance decline over the Nationals if the team were as bad as they were last year, the
    Nationals of course just plain stink and that has to be a major factor in the fall off.

    Losing John Smoltz could be a factor for the Braves, it was not a popular outcome in that city.

  • rbdjr1rbdjr1 Posts: 4,474 ✭✭

    All the buzz about the new Marlins relocation (Orange Bowl). And their state of the art new retractable roof stadium. Plus a decent first place start to the season after 20 games (currently 1.5 games ahead of the Phillies).

    Gives a Marlins' fan some encouragement. South Florida has proven to be tough on attendance. Many "would be Marlins attendees" have gone north (snowbirds) for the summer.

    The smart move was to just move the Marlins to another city like Las Vegas, Jacksonville, or the dozens of other cities that showed interest in having a major league team.

    But, a pleasant surprise to us Marlins fans, owners decided to stay put. Now with a new stadium.

    We will still always be at or near the bottom of MLB attendence, and will most likely, be at or near the bottom of player salaries, but that's OK, as it is nice to have a major league team and nice to see the Fish "over-achieve" year after year!

    Plus it will nice to go to a 90 degree day game in the "hot Florida sun" in a 70 degree air conditioned ballpark! image


    Today: Fish vs. Cubbies in Chi-town (Chris Volstad 2-0, big 22 year old righty, has potential for the Fish!)

    rd

    Quicksilver Messenger Service - Smokestack Lightning (Live) 1968

    Quicksilver Messenger Service - The Hat (Live) 1971
  • KK Posts: 1,364 ✭✭✭
    You have to take into account how many tickets are being sold though. Look at the Pirates at #3. +19% is great, but when its baseing that off of 9000 avg ticket sales from last year it still sucks. Where as a team like the Red Sox who isn't even on that list sells out every game with 40K+ tickets sold each game.
  • GootGoot Posts: 3,496


    << <i>
    Plus it will nice to go to a 90 degree day game in the "hot Florida sun" in a 70 degree air conditioned ballpark! image



    rd >>




    This is why the Trop is extremely underrated.

    When people from up north come down and go to a game they say "it's beautiful outside, why be indoors?!". If they lived here and realized it starts hitting 90 degrees in April, plus the mid afternoon rains, they probably wouldn't be saying this...

    The Trop is a big reason we became Rays fans instead of Marlins fans. Same distance from our house, but you KNEW that you wouldn't get rained out and you wouldn't be drenched with sweat.
  • GootGoot Posts: 3,496


    << <i>Where as a team like the Red Sox who isn't even on that list sells out every game with 40K+ tickets sold each game. >>




    It's percentage increase.....the Sox can't really move up too much unless they added 15,000 seats to Fenway.
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