Thankfully, with 4 games left that I am looking to sell tickets to, I have been able to break even. Selling tickets has been easy on stubhub and I plan to get full season tickets next year.
I've been fortunate because attendance at baseball games is down. Even at Dodger Stadium, which has been consistently in the top 3 every year in attendance, some games you are surprised at how many empty seats there are.
You know, I always wondered what it must be like to go to a 18,000 person Florida Marlins game. It must be pretty freakin awesome if you're a Marlins fan.
1. Ticket prices must be dirt cheap.
2. If you shout at players they can actually hear you.
3. No crowded parking or concessions lines.
4. There aren't enough people to successfully execute a wave. (GOD I HATE THE WAVE)
5. If you go to an empty outfield section, as long as you are the first person to get to the home run ball, it's yours! You don't even have to catch it.
I took a look at the top 15 teams in attendance this year and calculated the percent change in attendance from last year to this year.
| Club | % Change |
|---|---|
| Yankees | -13.8% |
| Dodgers | -2.4% |
| Phillies | +4.5% |
| Cardinals | -3.8% |
| Angels | -1.9% |
| Cubs | -1.2% |
| Mets | -23.3% |
| Brewers | +1.1% |
| Red Sox | +.8% |
| Giants | 0% |
| Rockies | -3.6% |
| Tigers | -20% |
| Astros | -11.8% |
| Braves | -2.9% |
| Twins | +2.8% |
I knew the Tigers were going to get hit, but not this hard. You can blame the decrease in the Mets probably on ticket prices and lowered performances by the team. The Yankees' ticket prices are well documented and account for their decline.
I was actually surprised to see a few teams actually increase. I guess it's no shock that the World Champion Phillies would see an increase in attendance, but they had essentially the same lineup as they did last year. And I don't think you get 2,000 more fans a game because of Raul Ibanez...unless they're fans of Slingblade and the Astronaut Farmer. So it looks like the notoriously hardcore sports fans of Philadelphia are somewhat bandwagoners after all.
Another surprise was Milwaukee. That team outside of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun (who they both had last year) sucks. Did they just now find out about the awesomeness of Prince? Or maybe it's just because there really isn't crap to do in Milwaukee.
I really hope attendance figures can bounce back next season. A baseball game is such a fun time that I don't think enough people get to experience.
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