MLB Games Experiencing Major Attendence Drops
America’s pastime may have moved well past its prime. Sure, Major League Baseball is all over television, with regional network deals that bring just about every game into every wired home.
But the games are not bringing people to the ballpark. And this is a continuing problem.
USA Today Sports examined the sport’s attendance through March and April – essentially the first month of the season, given the early appearance this year of Opening Day, and found 12 of 30 teams with lower attendance than at the comparable time in 2018. Last year’s early part of the season saw poor attendance because of bad weather in so much of the country’s northern tier.
It has been obvious to anyone tuning in on a TV that the only thing in the stands is the stands. The Miami Marlins drew more than 10,000 fans in only two of their first 10 home games, including one with fewer than 6,000. Empty seats don’t eat hot dogs, drink soft drinks or beer, buy hats or pay to park.
USA Today Sports notes that attendance overall is only off minimally, but has not rebounded since last year’s 4 percent drop. And the trouble spots – Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Miami, Tampa Bay – are clearly a drag.
Some teams brought this on themselves. The Orioles are terrible, have been for several years, have an unpopular owner and the Washington Nationals just down the road. The Reds? Five straight last-place finishes. The Pirates? Cheap owner, a little talent, three straight playoff misses.
MLB itself can share the blame. Games average more than three hours and the in-game delays for pitching changes are endless. When the sport reaches its apex with the World Series, TV dictates late starts (for the East Coast) that keep kids – the future fans – from seeing more than a few innings. As a result, baseball has the oldest fan base of the major sports.
Think about it for just a minute. When is the last time you attended a major league game? Hard to remember, isn’t it?
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman
-
Oklahoma and Texas will depart from the college sports conference at the end of the season. The Big 12...
-
Robert Kraft wants to re-sign Brady just long enough that he can retire as a Patriot. Earlier this week,...
-
The skilled third-baseman will be enshrined in Cooperstown. Scott Rolen is one of the most skilled and recognized third-basemen...
-
Brady’s 23rd football season has ended. On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys went head-to-head for...
-
Smith has been fired after one season with the team. Over the weekend, the owners of the Houston Texans...
-
Pelé passed due to complications related to colon cancer. On Thursday night, the sporting world received unfortunate news: Pelé,...
-
His return heralded a victory over the Phoenix Suns. On Sunday, Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas needed to take...
-
Mayfield will be available on waiver to other NFL teams. After an underwhelming performance in his current role as...
-
Mike White led the team to a decisive victory over the Bears over the weekend. On Saturday, the New...
-
The game has been moved out of New York due to an encroaching snowstorm. This weekend, the Buffalo Bills...
-
Negative pushback prompted the team to give the role to someone else. Recently, the Brooklyn Nets have been in...
-
The Bears got Claypool in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick. This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut a deal...