Why are the Orioles games not sold out right now?

[Dipper9]

Uh, I live in CA. I had no idea about the Grand Prix in Baltimore or it affecting traffic and did not know what it meant.

Its all good man. Everyone around here has been bombarded with the Grand Prix, so I typed it not thinking ANYTHING about what it would sound like for someone not knowing about the race. Kinda funny reading it now, seeing as how you interpreted it.

Away with your weapon, I mean you know harm!

[TonySoprano]

Do they have a war-zone like downtown with walls everywhere impeding traffic?

Light-rail. I wonder how many of them have something like it that drops them off right at their ballparks. Maybe a couple, I don't know for sure. Go back to my list, without the Grand Prix who would we have outsold? San Diego? Arizona? Colorado?

Why do you care so much? Aside from Angelos selling the team and moving out of Baltimore (which will NEVER be allowed to go down) why do people care so much? I know the players get pissed not seeing fans there, but they haven't been here for 14 losing seasons, 2 playoff appearance in 29 years, and no WS appearance in 29 years! Why do the fans care so much, and if they really care, then why aren't they there every game?

I'm just stating facts here, not emotional about it at all. If you want to turn it around on me, I guess it's because you don't know how to respond to what I posted. I'm the guy who has a thread talking up the increase in attendance from 2011...making lemonade from lemons. I haven't criticized the fanbase at all; I get why it is jaded.

[Frobby]

Why do you care so much? Aside from Angelos selling the team and moving out of Baltimore (which will NEVER be allowed to go down) why do people care so much? I know the players get pissed not seeing fans there, but they haven't been here for 14 losing seasons, 2 playoff appearance in 29 years, and no WS appearance in 29 years! Why do the fans care so much, and if they really care, then why aren't they there every game?

I care because (1) I think better attedance helps the long-term health of the franchise, (2) I think having more fan support helps the team win, and (3) when I go to games, I like having a big crowd there. I am not moralistic about it. People have to make choices about where to spend their time and money, and nobody has a moral obligation to attend baseball games. But it still disappoints me when the team plays well and doesn't get the reward of having increased fan support.

[Tony-OH]

I went to the game Monday and Tuesday and found little to no issues with the Grand Prix prep.

Parked at Sheraton both nights, which is right off the race course. Sure there are barriers up and a few lanes of traffic closed, but hardly an issue.

This all comes down to 15 years of losing. Everything else is really just a minor factor.

I'm not doubting your experience, but the perception that things are bad is a reality. I've talked with several people and they are about staying clear of Baltimore this weekend. I truly think this Grand Prix hurts Baltimore businesses more than it helps. I also don't understand paying money to see 10 seconds and maybe a quarter mile of a two-mile track of a road race, but that's another subject.

I agree with you the losing has a major effect. People are more interested in the Orioles, but that doesn't mean they are ready to come down a spend their money on them yet. MASN ratings and the hits/unique visitors visiting this site can attest to that, but the common fan when given extenuating circumstances (school starting, grand prix, etc) just don't seem ready to come back yet. Honestly, this is one of those situation where the Orioles are reaping what they sowed. Losing for 14 straight years has lost a generation of fans and it will take more than some good baseball this to win them back. The Orioles certainly look to be heading the right way, but it will take time to get the common fan back.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Its all good man. Everyone around here has been bombarded with the Grand Prix, so I typed it not thinking ANYTHING about what it would sound like for someone not knowing about the race. Kinda funny reading it now, seeing as how you interpreted it.

Away with your weapon, I mean you know harm!

Thanks. I realized that could have been construed as a loaded question, but I really didn't know what the heck it meant, so I asked it as generically as I could. I guess I never would have considered racing as a popular event for Baltimore.

[McNulty]

Why do you care so much? Aside from Angelos selling the team and moving out of Baltimore (which will NEVER be allowed to go down) why do people care so much? I know the players get pissed not seeing fans there, but they haven't been here for 14 losing seasons, 2 playoff appearance in 29 years, and no WS appearance in 29 years! Why do the fans care so much, and if they really care, then why aren't they there every game?

I have been one of the people *****ing. It bothers me that the yard is so empty. Like I've said before, I live well over an hour away and I've been to about 1/3rd of the games this year. The tolls alone for me are 20 bucks to get home these days.

The Grand Prix excuse is WEAK SAUCE. If you take 95 and get off at Russell, you can park for 10 bucks without even seeing the impact of the race. I was there last Friday, and leaving the game sucked some, but it wasn't that much worse than usual.

I also love the idea that the only people going to games are driving there.

[Mirko Crocop]

Orioles slowly bleed away fans over 14 years, creating apathy an disinterest from many locals, and suddenly expect the grab a large chunk back in less than a season?On the radio, they act as if fans are trying to punish the team for losing, which is silly. The fans just don't care as much as they used to, and there aren't as many of them as there were. That's just reality. Why would anyone expect a huge surge in one season when the general area has been "meh" towards the Orioles for so long. Again, anyone posting on the OH is not indicative of the majority of fans of the team.

[Tony-OH]

I have been one of the people *****ing. It bothers me that the yard is so empty. Like I've said before, I live well over an hour away and I've been to about 1/3rd of the games this year. The tolls alone for me are 20 bucks to get home these days.

The Grand Prix excuse is WEAK SAUCE. If you take 95 and get off at Russell, you can park for 10 bucks without even seeing the impact of the race. I was there last Friday, and leaving the game sucked some, but it wasn't that much worse than usual.

I also love the idea that the only people going to games are driving there.

I completely understand why you are upset, and you have every right to be. You obviously are a great fan who goes out of his way both in time and money to go to games and that's commendable. That's why you are such a good Hangouter.

The only thing that irks me are print and radio guys who say that fans should be embarrassed or that their lack of attendance is an embarrassment to the fanbase. I disagree. I see a fan base that has been beaten down by 14 years of losing and although diehards like you continue to go no matter what, it's going to take more to get the common fan, joe fan out to the games. The Orioles are in the thick of things and we've watched them play exciting ball this year, and more fans are interested. MASN ratings are up, hits/visitors around here are up, even overall attendance is up. But at the end of the day, when extenuating circumstances come into play, the Orioles are going to struggle to get fans into the stadium. It's way to convenient for joe fan to sit home and watch his 60 inch HD TV in his/her living room then it is to fight the traffic, hassle of parking/public transportation, and the financial output it takes to go. Add in dealing with the kids after their first days of the new school years, soccer/football practices, etc and it's a tough sell. The other thing is Orioles fans have become accustomed to thinking about other things this time of year. Normally we are focusing on the Ravens, getting kids to soccer/football practices, maybe preparing for one last "summer" getaway, etc. Orioles fans have not needed to worry about who they are playing and where they are playing in August in September in 14+ years.

Hopefully the Orioles are beginning a run where they will play meaningful baseball games in August and September and maybe even October. When they do that, people will start to return. People are creatures of habit by nature, and the Orioles have made a habit of being irrelevant by this time of year.

Saying all that, attendance should be way up when they return for the Yankees series and hopefully it will not be filled completely with Yankees fans. Even a 50/50 split for this time of the year would be a win in my book considering it's usually about 70/30 for late season Yankees games.

If the Orioles build a contending franchise that competes year in and year out, people will come. Yes, Ray, people will come!

[Nigel Tufnel]

Just a heads up that if you're going to the game today, don't take 395 - use Russell Street or Key Highway. They're starting to close off 395 for the race - you can only take it toward MLK, not to Conway or Pratt - so that's not the way to go today.

[Dipper9]

Light-rail. I wonder how many of them have something like it that drops them off right at their ballparks. Maybe a couple, I don't know for sure. Go back to my list, without the Grand Prix who would we have outsold? San Diego? Arizona? Colorado?

I'm just stating facts here, not emotional about it at all. If you want to turn it around on me, I guess it's because you don't know how to respond to what I posted. I'm the guy who has a thread talking up the increase in attendance from 2011...making lemonade from lemons. I haven't criticized the fanbase at all; I get why it is jaded.

Whoa big fella. Not turning it around on "you." Just responded to your post to ask why "people" in general care so much.

One other thing that we're touching on, but not naming directly, is our kids. Its school, its sports practices, etc. But more importantly, its 14 year old kids (ie High School Freshman) all the way down to newborns, who have NEVER seen winning baseball in this town. So they just aren't interested in going to the games. My girls are just now starting to get into it because they've been force-fed my wife and I watching every day, but its not like they are fans. If I say, "hey girls, wanna go to the Yard to watch the Birds?" They would respond with "not really." So now its a matter of, do the wife and I leave the kids at home alone until 11pm on a school night? I mean, they're old enough now, and we have on many occasions, but as parents, we're not going to do that very often. That to me is a key here. When parents AND kids are Orioles fans, then its a feasible, fun family night out. When the kids don't care, then its not. And all those attendance figures you mentioned, aside from Pittsburgh, all of those cities have not lost an entire generation of young baseball fans. Baltimore has. So it will take more than ONE decent summer to earn young baseball fans back on the bandwagon!

[Hank Scorpio]

Uh, I live in CA. I had no idea about the Grand Prix in Baltimore or it affecting traffic and did not know what it meant.

Uh, I wasn't saying uh to be a D, though I can uh, see how you would uh, construe it that way.

Just clarifying.

[PaulFolk]

But they are not BS excuses. There are a lot of factors in play, but I think people are down playing the effect that the grand Prix is having right now. Have you been down town around the stadium? It's like a war zone down there with barriers everywhere, roads and parking lots closed, port-a-pots everywhere and general disarray. It's a mess and most people prefer to stay away from messes if they can. The other thing people don't want to admit to is the addition of every game on High Definition TV and the prevalence of nice big HD TVs in the home. Add in the first day/week of school for not only K-12 but also a lot of colleges and the current economic situation for some people and you have bad situation for getting fans to the ball park.

Agree with this. The Grand Prix is definitely complicating matters. On Tuesday, it took me over an hour to drive from my office in Hampden to the ballpark. That's a drive that normally takes me 15 minutes.

[Hank Scorpio]

How long does it take to tear all that crap down after the race is over with?

[BoltonBob]

I'm not doubting your experience, but the perception that things are bad is a reality. I've talked with several people and they are about staying clear of Baltimore this weekend. I truly think this Grand Prix hurts Baltimore businesses more than it helps. I also don't understand paying money to see 10 seconds and maybe a quarter mile of a two-mile track of a road race, but that's another subject.

I agree with you the losing has a major effect. People are more interested in the Orioles, but that doesn't mean they are ready to come down a spend their money on them yet. MASN ratings and the hits/unique visitors visiting this site can attest to that, but the common fan when given extenuating circumstances (school starting, grand prix, etc) just don't seem ready to come back yet. Honestly, this is one of those situation where the Orioles are reaping what they sowed. Losing for 14 straight years has lost a generation of fans and it will take more than some good baseball this to win them back. The Orioles certainly look to be heading the right way, but it will take time to get the common fan back.

Reaping what they sow. Hits the nail on the head. I spent over $5000 going to ST and buying O?s gear from $10 flip flops (4 pair they are so crappy and wear out quick) to $35 hats, pillows etc., bought over 100 tics this year for myself and others and have converted a few folks to baseball fans. I don't tell folks how to spend their money and hope they don't tell me how to spend my money ($8-10 for a beer, $4.50 hot dogs, etc.) That would be like asking Peter to spend his MASN millions on the O's.

It's not our job to market the O's. We've all put out suggestions about more creative ticket plans and promotions (bundling, late season mini plans, etc., Living Social/Group On, Bark at the Park nights, etc.) Buck said it best today on Davis/Norris this morning - he takes nothing for granted, appreciates the 10,000 who came out and ignored the traffic/parking issues and the War Zone the GP has created - most of the team stayed @ the Hilton last night rather than worry about getting in today for the 12:30 game, although most of us locals know the light rail is the best option for us.

O's could have had a "Back to School" week with free tics for Honor Roll students and teachers (like Aquarium does in the spring) and area colleges setting up tables to market to Baltimore youth and giving out their freebies....like we see @ ArtScape, etc.

Meanwhile I'm just enjoying to moment - Lew Ford, Nate, Manny, Steve J. etc. Go O's!!

[TonySoprano]

Pittsburgh scoffs at 14 straight years; they've had 18 straight. They had their "2005" in 2011, an early winning season only to collapse in the second half. Pittsburgh has also made a habit of being irrelevant in August. Rumor has it they have a decent football team too (although not on the Ravens level ) that gets a lot of their attention at this time of year.

Their playoff match-up last night drew 48% more than Baltimore.