Background:
The Tampa Yankees began play in 1994. After two seasons playing at the University of South Florida, the Tampa Yankees moved to Legends Field, a stadium built across the street from Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Legends Field was renamed Steinbrenner Field in 2008. The current population of Tampa is 352,957.
Tampa Yankees 2014:
Home Games: 70
Total attendance: 111,521 (down 6.1% from 2013: 118,770)
Average: 1,640 (down 10.24% from 2013: 1,827)
Highest attended game: 7,340 on Wednesday, May 21st vs Jupiter
Lowest attended game: 834 on Tuesday, May 27th vs Bradenton
Low point of average attendance: Game 18, May 7th (1,292)
Double headers: 2 (June 12, Aug 6)
Cancellations: 0
Notable rehab assignments: CC Sabathia
Other notable appearances: None
Breakdown:
(red highlight = below annual average of 1,640)
Overall:
(Note: the blank space in the middle of June indicates the Florida State League all-star break.)
By Month:
The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.
By Day:
Tampa Yankees attendance increased 28% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.
- Mon-Thurs average attendance: 1,418
- Sat-Sun average attendance: 1,969
- Difference: +28%
The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.
The following chart shows how often each day outdrew the day prior.
Saturdays were a good draw, outdrawing the game prior 80% of the time. The popularity of Saturday games led to a small percentage of Sundays outdrawing Saturdays. Surprisingly, 43% of Mondays outdrew the game prior.
By Opponent:
By Starting Pitcher:
This chart depicts how attendance reacted from one starter to the next. If a pitcher is a great draw, the percentage between he and the prior starter should be higher.
By Promotion:
Other one-time events included Star Wars Night, Mascot's Birthday, and local college night, etc.
The following chart shows how well promotions did compared to the prior day’s attendance.
Like many minor league teams, Tampa Yankees attendance swayed a lot due to promotions. Every weekday game had a basic promotion such as 2-for-1 Tuesdays, Military Mondays, etc. But other promotions boosted attendance significantly.
Fireworks nights were a big draw as were local school days. The food truck rally was also very successful, drawing 4,945 fans on a Saturday night, 1,800 more than the average Saturday.
By Day/Night, Weekday/Weekend Splits:
We will have further breakdowns of these attendance numbers and how they relate to long-term trends in upcoming posts.