Attendance numbers for Tuesday, Sept. 5 (Contenders Only)
SF: 41,038 – 1st Place in the NL West
LA [NL]: 40,619 – 1 Game behind 2nd Wild Card
StL: 34,108 – 2nd Wild Card spot
Det: 27,729 – 1 game back in AL Central
Cin: 17,806 – 1st in the NL Central
TB: 17,652 – two Games behind 2nd Wild Card
Was: 17,648 – 1st Place in NL East
Atl: 16,686 – 1st Wild Card spot
Chi: 15,698 – 1st Place in AL Central
Pit: 12,785 – two Games behind 2nd Wild Card
Oak: 11,688 – 2nd Wild Card spot
(Numbers provided by www.baseball-reference.com)
As you can see, attendance was down in more than half of the contender’s home stadiums on Tuesday (Including three division leaders). The numbers aren’t better last night from the games that have finished as of 10pm EST.
What could the reasoning be? I know it rained in Pittsburgh, I was at the game, but it has rained during games earlier this season and at least 20,000 stuck around for the delay. I know parents don’t want their kids out late on school nights and I respect that, but I know there have to be at least 25,000 people within an hour of any of these cities that have no excuse not to come watch their team fight for a playoff spot. Baltimore and Oakland have been bad at this as well and they are both IN a playoff spot right now.
Are fans in areas like Bal, Pit, and Oak, that aren’t used to a playoff race, so used to being disinterested at this time of year that they don’t realize their team still IS in it? Do they believe their team is going to collapse like usual that they don’t want to spend the time going to the ballpark when they know what is going to happen? I don’t know the answer. I hope it changes, though, their teams and fans deserve it.
Photo Credits: Seattle Times
