The 2023 attendance thread

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, panick said:

Will that be enough to enable the O's to sign some of their good young players to extensions?

So here’s the thing, the Os payroll is going to be low again next year and really, for the next several years. So, the extensions don’t make the payroll go higher for 5+ years. 
 

On top of that, the Os will be coming off of some kind of playoff revenue this year and that is substantial. 
 

I would bet on them raising prices this offseason to some level and honestly, I think they should. It makes sense and I don’t think they should be faulted for doing it.

So, revenue isn’t going to be an issue and it’s not one now. Our owner is just a lying sack of poopy when it comes to that.

[MurphDogg]

Left field upper reserve is open for the game on Saturday. It is Felix Bautista Bobblehead night. Looked like only a couple hundred tickets available outside of those sections.

Edited August 23, 2023 by MurphDogg

[accinfo]

Just now, MurphDogg said:

Left field upper reserve is open for the game on Saturday. It is Felix Bautista Bobbldhead night. Looked like only a couple hundred tickets available outside of those sections.

I just spoke to my Oriole rep and he said Saturday is close to a sell out.  

[Going Underground]

18 hours ago, Frobby said:

I think getting to 2.4 mm will be a stretch for next year.  Put me down for 2.2 - 2.25 mm.  I agree with your guess that 2.7 mm is about the long term limit.  Maybe if the O’s have a 6-7 year run like the Astros just did they could top that, but I’m not sure.  In addition to the Nats’ impact, I think the specter of the Freddie Gray riots and perception of increased crime risk has lowered the ceiling a bit.  That’s one of the reasons why why the 2016 wild card team drew about 110,000 fewer fans than the 2015 team that only made it to .500 by winning its final six games.  (The riots were after people had bought their season tickets for 2015.)

 

Be tough to get much above 2 million or they go deep in the playoffs  or win the World Series for next years attendance .They have not drawn above 30,000 for any game that is not a promotion or 4 games against the Yankees. Most of the non promotion games have been way below 30,000. Take for example the Twins weekend series. For the two promotion games against the Twins ,they drew 34,792 and 40,012. For the non promotion Sunday game they only drew 16,299. Granted Saturday is one of your biggest draw days and most promotions are on Saturday but to get above 2 million need to draw better on non promotion days This weekend will be another example of a big draw on the Bautista bobblehead but low to mid 20,000 for the other two games against the Rockies.

[Going Underground]

5 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

Be tough to get much above 2 million or they go deep in the playoffs  or win the World Series for next years attendance .They have not drawn above 30,000 for any game that is not a promotion or 4 games against the Yankees. Most of the non promotion games have been way below 30,000. Take for example the Twins weekend series. For the two promotion games against the Twins ,they drew 34,792 and 40,012. For the non promotion Sunday game they only drew 16,299. Granted Saturday is one of your biggest draw days and most promotions are on Saturday but to get above 2 million need to draw better on non promotion days This weekend will be another example of a big draw on the Bautista bobblehead but low to mid 20,000 for the other two games against the Rockies.

Forget Friday is a promotion as well, so mid 20's to maybe upper 20's.  Also Sunday the seven sections in the left field corner are sold out. So mid 20's or so for Sunday. 

[Going Underground]

 

[MurphDogg]

Noticeably smaller crowd last night. I was able to hit the restroom and grab a beer in the 6th inning and still get back to the front row of the flag court standing room. It never really got more than 2 rows deep last night. On Tuesday it was 3+ rows deep for most of the game.

[Going Underground]

33 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Noticeably smaller crowd last night. I was able to hit the restroom and grab a beer in the 6th inning and still get back to the front row of the flag court standing room. It never really got more than 2 rows deep last night. On Tuesday it was 3+ rows deep for most of the game.

It was supposedly only about 1,000 more on Tuesday. Maybe less people showed up Tuesday or less people standing.

[SunnysideOsFan]

On 8/23/2023 at 11:55 AM, Frobby said:

In addition to the Nats’ impact, I think the specter of the Freddie Gray riots and perception of increased crime risk has lowered the ceiling a bit. 

 

This unfortunately holds truer than a lot on this chain seem to realize. I have family in the suburbs who proudly proclaim however many months/years it’s been since they last step foot in the city. The Baltimore area has one of the worst city/suburb divides I’ve seen in the US, and the riots just made everything worse. It really doesn’t have to be this way - the St. Louis metro area is of similar size, has struggled with high crime as well for decades, and had their own significant riots back in 2014 (remember Ferguson?). Yet none of that has stopped them from being one of the top draws in MLB. I’m not expecting the O’s to draw numbers similar to the Cardinals, but I am wondering why the suburbanites in this region seem to have such a strong animosity towards the city, more so than other areas I’ve lived in. The riots just amplified that divide. And you can see it in the numbers. In the years immediately following the Nationals’ relocation here, the Orioles still managed to draw 2.6 million in 2005, and 2.1 million in 2006 and 2007. And this was during peak of the 1998-2011 dark ages. And now we’re sitting here, on top of the Division, with the best group of stars we’ve had since 1996-1997 (or 2012-2014 depending on whom you ask), and hoping for maybe 2.3 million next year.

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, SunnysideOsFan said:

This unfortunately holds truer than a lot on this chain seem to realize. I have family in the suburbs who proudly proclaim however many months/years it’s been since they last step foot in the city. The Baltimore area has one of the worst city/suburb divides I’ve seen in the US, and the riots just made everything worse. It really doesn’t have to be this way - the St. Louis metro area is of similar size, has struggled with high crime as well for decades, and had their own significant riots back in 2014 (remember Ferguson?). Yet none of that has stopped them from being one of the top draws in MLB. I’m not expecting the O’s to draw numbers similar to the Cardinals, but I am wondering why the suburbanites in this region seem to have such a strong animosity towards the city, more so than other areas I’ve lived in. The riots just amplified that divide. And you can see it in the numbers. In the years immediately following the Nationals’ relocation here, the Orioles still managed to draw 2.6 million in 2005, and 2.1 million in 2006 and 2007. And this was during peak of the 1998-2011 dark ages. And now we’re sitting here, on top of the Division, with the best group of stars we’ve had since 1996-1997 (or 2012-2014 depending on whom you ask), and hoping for maybe 2.3 million next year.

I agree with what you say, but I also will say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Attendance was at a low ebb for several reasons, and it takes a while to turn that around completely.  Put a team on the field that not only makes the playoffs several years in a row, but is expected to be a serious WS contender, and then we’ll see where attendance goes.  Even in 2012-16, there wasn’t a lot of offseason buzz about the O’s being a legit WS threat, and of course, they never made the playoffs in consecutive years.  This has the potential to be a team that fans are excited to see before the season ever starts, moreso than those 2012-16 teams.  Plus, people who have season ticket packages have priority for playoff tickets, and that’s a motivator if people think the team is likely to make the playoffs the next season. 

[Going Underground]

So a little less then 20,000 a game on average for the Blue Jays. Rockies series looks like 90,000 or so. Walk up a little more. So 90,000 to a real good walkup closer to 100,000.  I say 92,000 or so. We shall see on Sunday night. White Sox looks below 50,000 for the  series. 

[SteveA]

34 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I agree with what you say, but I also will say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Attendance was at a low ebb for several reasons, and it takes a while to turn that around completely.  Put a team on the field that not only makes the playoffs several years in a row, but is expected to be a serious WS contender, and then we’ll see where attendance goes.  Even in 2012-16, there wasn’t a lot of offseason buzz about the O’s being a legit WS threat, and of course, they never made the playoffs in consecutive years.  This has the potential to be a team that fans are excited to see before the season ever starts, moreso than those 2012-16 teams.  Plus, people who have season ticket packages have priority for playoff tickets, and that’s a motivator if people think the team is likely to make the playoffs the next season. 

So far this year, Baltimore's murder rate is down.   Obviously the year isn't over but the murder total right now projects to be the lowest since before the Freddy Gray situation.

So perhaps that will help a bit with perception.   Which could then be reflected in an up-tick in season tickets next year, in addition to the obvious up-tick we will get due to our performance this season.

[Going Underground]

40 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I agree with what you say, but I also will say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Attendance was at a low ebb for several reasons, and it takes a while to turn that around completely.  Put a team on the field that not only makes the playoffs several years in a row, but is expected to be a serious WS contender, and then we’ll see where attendance goes.  Even in 2012-16, there wasn’t a lot of offseason buzz about the O’s being a legit WS threat, and of course, they never made the playoffs in consecutive years.  This has the potential to be a team that fans are excited to see before the season ever starts, moreso than those 2012-16 teams.  Plus, people who have season ticket packages have priority for playoff tickets, and that’s a motivator if people think the team is likely to make the playoffs the next season. 

Be interesting what playoff tickets will cost this year. I was looking at my 2016 playoff ticket prices. ALDS was only $80.00 for Section 17,Row 9,Seat 1. Regular season now is probably more.ALCS was $110.00 for the same seat. World Series was $225.00 for the same seat. I say at least 50 to 100% more know.

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Going Underground

[Frobby]

5 minutes ago, SteveA said:

So far this year, Baltimore's murder rate is down.   Obviously the year isn't over but the murder total right now projects to be the lowest since before the Freddy Gray situation.

So perhaps that will help a bit with perception.   Which could then be reflected in an up-tick in season tickets next year, in addition to the obvious up-tick we will get due to our performance this season.

To me, the issue is more perception than reality.  I can’t remember ever hearing a report of someone being robbed or accosted on their way to or from the ballpark.  But, Baltimore is seen as dangerous and that rubs off.  Also, as the Inner Harbor area has become less of an attractive destination, you have fewer people just coming into Baltimore for a weekend or a long day trip and catching a ballgame or two while they’re at it.  

[Going Underground]

4 minutes ago, Frobby said:

To me, the issue is more perception than reality.  I can’t remember ever hearing a report of someone being robbed or accosted on their way to or from the ballpark.  But, Baltimore is seen as dangerous and that rubs off.  Also, as the Inner Harbor area has become less of an attractive destination, you have fewer people just coming into Baltimore for a weekend or a long day trip and catching a ballgame or two while they’re at it.  

No crime around the stadium area but  very near it, last week.. Most of it is not when the Orioles play 

 

South Baltimore Crime Updates
https://www.southbmore.com/2023/08/23/south-baltimore-crime-updates-279/