Disappointed in attendance?

[NewMarketSean]

You have 34000 posts and you are wery to pay money to watch the team? Anyway I am attending tonight. So I will have attended 50 percent. I have tickets to Tuesdays game and will probably see one of the games this weekend. So I am not to blame.

I wish these threads didn't exist. I don't see the point of blaiming others for not coming to the games. We aren't losing the team due to lack of attendance. Our payroll is not tied to revenues. Would someone plese tell me why they care how many people are in the stands?

I'll be there tonight. I'm thankful it's MG and not Tillman pitching tonight. If one of my friends would have been up for going last night, I would have gone, but who pitches does factor into my going to the game a bit...after all, I drove down from Frederick, buy a ticket, spend money for beer and food, and if the Orioles are losing 5-0 in the 3rd inning because Jake or Chris are having that kind of night, it sucks.

[DrungoHazewood]

How has TOR's attendance been this year vs last?

After 9 games, Up 23.5% - small sample size

But let's do an apples-to-apples. Midweek series against fairly nondescript opponents:

Last year they had a Tuesday-Thursday series at SkyDome against the Rays in April. Drew a total of 50,135, or about 16k a game.

This year they just finished a Monday-Wednesday against the White Sox. Total of 47,570 or 15.8k per game.

From that one data point its hard to see Reyes, Dickey, Buehrle and Co awakening the dormant Toronto fanbase and buying season tickets en masse.

Edit: I see MurphDogg beat me to it...

[MurphDogg]

But let's do an apples-to-apples. Midweek series against fairly nondescript opponents:

Last year they had a Tuesday-Thursday series at SkyDome against the Rays in April. Drew a total of 50,135, or about 16k a game.

This year they just finished a Monday-Wednesday against the White Sox. Total of 47,570 or 15.8k per game.

From that one data point its hard to see Reyes, Dickey, Buehrle and Co awakening the dormant Toronto fanbase and buying season tickets en masse.

Edit: I see MurphDogg beat me to it...

Yeah, the 23.5 percent jump is driven entirely by the Red Sox series being a weekend series instead of a weekday series (meaning more Boston fans, not more Toronto fans).

[Ohfan67]

I don't expect the O's to draw more than the Nats. But I think time has proven that higher attendance for the Nats doesn't mean lower attendance for the O's. Both teams had a sizeable increase last year, and I expect both to have a sizeable increase this year, if they contend again. I'd agree that the Nats have a higher probability of contending this season than the O's do, but they've both got a good shot to do so.

The O's drew 2.624 mm the year the Nats arrived. The Nats drew 2.732 mm. Neither team has reached those totals since then. Last year, with both in the playoffs, the O's drew 2.102 mm and the Nats drew 2.371 mm. Plainly, there's plenty of room for each to have large increases this year.

I wasn't really trying to say that the Nats were taking fans away from Camden Yards, although there's probably some of that going on, I was just pointing out that in some ways the Nats have a more attractive product at this point in the system since you and others were comparing the Nats and O's attendance.

[Ohfan67]

I wasn't really trying to say that the Nats were taking fans away from Camden Yards, although there's probably some of that going on, I was just pointing out that in some ways the Nats have a more attractive product at this point in the system since you and others were comparing the Nats and O's attendance.

season, not system

[Ohfan67]

Another point/question: I have a lot of friends that attend big conferences that are held in the spring in DC. Some of these are huge (e.g., the American Chemical Society meeting sometimes has 8,000 - 9,000 attendees). The Baltimore conference center is much smaller (I know one of the scientific societies that I belong too outgrew the Baltimore conference center when attendance was over 3kish). Events like this and the much larger number of tourists that visit DC will provide some attendance numbers. I know at my last conference in Baltimore over 1,000 people from the conference attended a Wednesday night game via a promotion connected to the conference). DC has some inherent advantages based on the number of visitors.

[Ohfan67]

Another point/question: I have a lot of friends that attend big conferences that are held in the spring in DC. Some of these are huge (e.g., the American Chemical Society meeting sometimes has 8,000 - 9,000 attendees). The Baltimore conference center is much smaller (I know one of the scientific societies that I belong too outgrew the Baltimore conference center when attendance was over 3kish). Events like this and the much larger number of tourists that visit DC will provide some attendance numbers. I know at my last conference in Baltimore over 1,000 people from the conference attended a Wednesday night game via a promotion connected to the conference). DC has some inherent advantages based on the number of visitors.

to instead of too. geesh, i need some coffee or something.

[Dipper9]

Another point/question: I have a lot of friends that attend big conferences that are held in the spring in DC. Some of these are huge (e.g., the American Chemical Society meeting sometimes has 8,000 - 9,000 attendees). The Baltimore conference center is much smaller (I know one of the scientific societies that I belong too outgrew the Baltimore conference center when attendance was over 3kish). Events like this and the much larger number of tourists that visit DC will provide some attendance numbers. I know at my last conference in Baltimore over 1,000 people from the conference attended a Wednesday night game via a promotion connected to the conference). DC has some inherent advantages based on the number of visitors.

No doubt. A larger Convention Center and hotel downtown would definitely attract more fans (although they wouldn't be Orioles fans). I hit a Tigers game last time I was in Detroit just for something to do. Gonna do the same in Atlanta sometime soon.

[Ohfan67]

No doubt. A larger Convention Center and hotel downtown would definitely attract more fans (although they wouldn't be Orioles fans). I hit a Tigers game last time I was in Detroit just for something to do. Gonna do the same in Atlanta sometime soon.

I do the same. I hit a major or minor league whenever that is an option while traveling for work.

[sevastras]

I do the same. I hit a major or minor league whenever that is an option while traveling for work.

Same here. If the Domino's sugar building ever came up empty, that would make a cool spot. Im not suggesting that they leave, just it would be a neat spot for a convention center, as the same building of course. The Domino's sugar convention center. Not sure what other building are empty, but great idea.

What do you think about tonights game? Over/under 5,000? Looks pretty pathetic, especially since the O's arent having a terrible start to the season.

[grick232]

it kills me to watch the game on tv and see so many empty seats

[atomic]

it kills me to watch the game on tv and see so many empty seats

Then why didn't you come out. Great game and great weather and the crowd was awesome. Glad I went

[scottbbfm]

One other theory - until tickets become scarce on the weekends, you aren't going to see a big jump in weekday sales. The average fan will go once a month or so. Why would they go on a Tuesday night when they could easily get a similar seat on a Saturday or Sunday night. Season plan holders will swap into weekend games, they don't care if their seats are slightly different than their real seats. Once weekend seats become tough to come by, and I believe they will, you'll see attendance spill into the weekdays.

[barnanimal]

this weekend is gonna be sold out

[Frobby]

One other theory - until tickets become scarce on the weekends, you aren't going to see a big jump in weekday sales. The average fan will go once a month or so. Why would they go on a Tuesday night when they could easily get a similar seat on a Saturday or Sunday night. Season plan holders will swap into weekend games, they don't care if their seats are slightly different than their real seats. Once weekend seats become tough to come by, and I believe they will, you'll see attendance spill into the weekdays.

Much truth here. I hate trying to get to Baltimore from DC on a weeknight. I have tickets on Tuesday and I'm dreading the trip.