Will the fans show?

[weams]

If true then why in the world are TV ratings so high?

If nobody cared no one would watch.

The team is well supported. It is getting the folks to the yards that is a challenge. Winning a World Series would change that.

[Roll Tide]

The team is well supported. It is getting the folks to the yards that is a challenge. Winning a World Series would change that.

I haven't been to a game in years due to my Angelos boycott. I watch nearly every game on tv. I have thought about ending it a few times.

With that said the Orioles are a flawed team with big holes.

The team hasn't fixed the starting pitching and continue to plug in cheap options that fail. The Blue Jays series was proof that even when our pitchers are on their game their not as good as the opposition.

The offense is way too streaky... Scoring 10 runs in one game and then 5-6 total over the next two is not good enough. The inability to score unless they homer is pitiful. The players need to get on base more and hit better with men on base.

Some one from the O's said through Roch that the team can't seem to put it altogether at the same time.

[Why Not?]

Attendance at OPCY will never be what it was before the Expos moved to Washington.

[weams]

Attendance at OPCY will never be what it was before the Expos moved to Washington.

We all know that. The challenge is to get more folks back now. Not an easy task.

[Why Not?]

We all know that. The challenge is to get more folks back now. Not an easy task.

I don't think everyone knows that.

The expectations are high because of the sellout years when OPCY was fresh and novel and the Orioles were the only game in town. It's quite possible that the high end of what can be expected is, like, a 30K average.

With an upcoming ownership change, an aging ballpark and the reality of being the second team in a two-team metropolis, it's not out of the question that the Orioles could be a candidate to move from Baltimore in the next 25-30 years.

[Going Underground]

I really hope the fans are out in force for this Yankees series. I have a feeling there is going to be a ton of NY fans there. We need OPACY to be filled with orange and loud to over power all NY fans.

A little over 20,000 left for Friday's game but Student night ,so maybe cut that down some. Get a couple of thousand of nice college kids. Saturday has a little over 10,000 tickets. Sunday has about 14,000 left. Not like they used to get for a weekend Yankee series. i think it is two things. Oriole fans don't want to pay more to sit next to Yankee fans. Yankee fans see a young team that is just starting to get competitive.

[FlipTheBird]

A little over 20,000 left for Friday's game but Student night ,so maybe cut that down some. Get a couple of thousand of nice college kids. Saturday has a little over 10,000 tickets. Sunday has about 14,000 left. Not like they used to get for a weekend Yankee series. i think it is two things. Oriole fans don't want to pay more to sit next to Yankee fans. Yankee fans see a young team that is just starting to get competitive.

While there will certainly be a good contingent of Yankee fans there, I think it's safe to assume that some of the Yanks crowd that usually makes the trip decided around early July that it wasn't in the cards this year... and now that they're back in the race it was too late to change plans.

[Going Underground]

While there will certainly be a good contingent of Yankee fans there, I think it's safe to assume that some of the Yanks crowd that usually makes the trip decided around early July that it wasn't in the cards this year... and now that they're back in the race it was too late to change plans.

Yup. Also my Sunday Astros ticket was $34.00 and my Yankee ticket is $62.00. Without a season ticket ,Saturday and Sunday is $73.00. That is alot even for Yankee fans. Plus around $6.00 per extras in fees. I know you don't pay a fee at the stadium. So a family of four is around $320.00 before parking,food,etc. I know you can stand or sit way up in the LF Upper Reserved for $15.00 but even Upper Reserved is $30.00.

[Going Underground]

Attendance at OPCY will never be what it was before the Expos moved to Washington.

it was dying before they ever came. All the losing seasons and fans stayed away. Having six straight 90 loss seasons did not help. In 1997,Orioles were in the ALCS,they drew 3.7 million. In 2003 they drew 2.4 million with no Nationals. Sort of what they drew in 2014.

The Orioles don't promote or market the team well. The Cardinals do a caravan across certain states during the offseason. This is not Fanfest but gets fans interested in the team during the offseason with pictures and giveaways like tickets.

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/community/caravan.jsp

They are not the only one either. I think I have counted at least seven teams who do this. Even the World Champs.

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/kc/fan_forum/caravan.jsp?loc=schedule

This list some of the teams that do it.

http://www.cravetheauto.com/2016-fanfests-caravans/

[atomic]

Ok so looking at the remaining 1:35 games in the season the ticket prices are varied greatly by gamee ( I can't go to the 7:35 games as I have a 2 year old)

For section 262:

sept 4th - $73

sept 18th $40

sept 25th $48

No way I am paying 73 dollars for those seats. If the weather is good I will go on the 18th. I think these variable price ticketing is what is keeping attendance down. I would go this Sunday but not at highway robbery prices.

[Frobby]

I don't think everyone knows that.

The expectations are high because of the sellout years when OPCY was fresh and novel and the Orioles were the only game in town. It's quite possible that the high end of what can be expected is, like, a 30K average.

With an upcoming ownership change, an aging ballpark and the reality of being the second team in a two-team metropolis, it's not out of the question that the Orioles could be a candidate to move from Baltimore in the next 25-30 years.

There are many reasons why attendance is disappointing, but "an aging ballpark" isn't one of them. Camden Yards is kept in tip-top condition, they find ways to freshen it up every few years, and I never fail to marvel at how beautiful it is.

And I do think everyone understands that the presence of another team 40 miles away dramatically affects attendance. That isn't rocket science.

The big issue is the attendance drop the last two years. Let's look at attendance since 2011, the last year of the 14-year losing streak:

2011: 1.755 mm

2012: 2.281 mm

2013: 2.358 mm

2014: 2.464 mm

2015: 2.320 mm*

2016: 2.157 mm (projected at current pace, with 14 home dates remaining)

* The 2015 figure includes the White Sox game following the riots that had a zero attendance, the three "home" games we played in Tampa that drew 39,386, and two single-admission doubleheaders.

Considering that the team has been in first place for most of the season, and in playoff contention all season, the 2016 drop-off should be very concerning to the organization.

I am personally of the belief that it is helpful to the players when the stands are crowded with enthusiastic fans. Not necessarily a huge impact, but I believe it helps. So a 40% full ballpark for a critical series against a division rival bothers me, beyond the economic impact on the team.

[esmd]

It's a combo of things, IMO. The variable pricing, ticket cost increase, Nats eating into the market, residual from the riots, some fan pessimism about the teams staying power in the playoff race, etc., are all factors IMO. You can really get some serious sticker shock pricing the cost of tickets to a single game with premium pricing.

[Going Underground]

There are many reasons why attendance is disappointing, but "an aging ballpark" isn't one of them. Camden Yards is kept in tip-top condition, they find ways to freshen it up every few years, and I never fail to marvel at how beautiful it is.

And I do think everyone understands that the presence of another team 40 miles away dramatically affects attendance. That isn't rocket science.

The big issue is the attendance drop the last two years. Let's look at attendance since 2011, the last year of the 14-year losing streak:

2011: 1.755 mm

2012: 2.281 mm

2013: 2.358 mm

2014: 2.464 mm

2015: 2.320 mm*

2016: 2.157 mm (projected at current pace, with 14 home dates remaining)

* The 2015 figure includes the White Sox game following the riots that had a zero attendance, the three "home" games we played in Tampa that drew 39,386, and two single-admission doubleheaders.

Considering that the team has been in first place for most of the season, and in playoff contention all season, the 2016 drop-off should be very concerning to the organization.

I am personally of the belief that it is helpful to the players when the stands are crowded with enthusiastic fans. Not necessarily a huge impact, but I believe it helps. So a 40% full ballpark for a critical series against a division rival bothers me, beyond the economic impact on the team.

I understand the Nationals hurt attendance. But before the Nationals even came the Orioles lost 1.3 million fans in attendance in six years. Bad run team and terrible product. The first years the Nationals came the Orioles had 90 loss seasons six straight times. Bad teams,run poorly killed attendance and the Nationals helped it go even further down. I think they can strife for around 2.5 million every year. They would be fine then with the MASN money coming in. They need to market better. They have a streak again of five or six 90 loss seasons and I can see them moving.

[Frobby]

I understand the nationals hurt attendance. But before the Nationals even came the Orioles lost 1.3 million fans in attendance in six years. Bad run team and terrible product. The first years the Nationals came the Orioles had 90 loss seasons six straight times. Bad teams,run poorly killed attendance and the Nationals helped it go even further down. I think they can strife for around 2.5 million every year. They would be fine then with the MASN money coming in. They need to market better. They have a streak again of five or six 90 loss seasons and I can see them moving.

I completely agree with your point that the O's hurt themselves by having a lousy team for 14 years. But that was five years ago, and I don't think that relates to the attendance drop the last two years.

[weams]

I am personally of the belief that it is helpful to the players when the stands are crowded with enthusiastic fans. Not necessarily a huge impact, but I believe it helps. So a 40% full ballpark for a critical series against a division rival bothers me, beyond the economic impact on the team.

Me too. There should be 5 dollar walk ups for all remaining seats. Day of. First come, first serve. Two per customer.