Monday, December 29, 2014

Attendance Review: 2007 Clearwater Threshers

Welcome to our second attendance review of the Clearwater Threshers. This post continues our series of looking back at trends in Tampa Bay area fan behavior since 2007. Today we look at the home attendance of the 2007 Clearwater Threshers.

Overview: The Clearwater Threshers began play in the Florida State League in 1985. The Threshers moved to Bright House Field in 2004. Bright House Field is also the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2013, the population of Clearwater was 109,703.

Clearwater Threshers 2007:

Home Games: 72

Total attendance: 166,359 (up 4.58% from 2006: 159,067)

Per Game Average: 2,483 (up 6.16% from 2006: 2,339)

Highest attended games: 8,906 on Tues, July 3rd vs Tampa

Lowest attended game: 1,163 on Sat, June 23 vs Jupiter

Lowest point of average attendance: April 13, Game 6 (2,307)

Double headers: 5 (April 11, May 12, Aug 15, Aug 31, Sep 1)

Cancellations: 0

Notable rehab assignments: Freddy Garcia, Antonio Bastardo, Tom Gordon

Other notable appearances: None
Breakdown:

(red shading = below annual average of 2,483)

Overall:




By Month:




The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.




By Day of the Week:




Threshers attendance increased 43% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.
  • Mon-Thurs average attendance: 2,057
  • Fri-Sun average attendance: 2,949
  • Increase: 43.3%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.




The following chart shows how often each day outdrew the day 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.




Friday, December 19, 2014

Attendance Review: 2013 Dunedin Blue Jays

Welcome to our 8th attendance review post on the Dunedin Blue Jays, minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. This post continues our series of looking back at trends in Tampa Bay area fan behavior since 2007.

Background:

The Dunedin Blue Jays began play in the Florida State League in 1987. After three seasons playing at Grant Field, the Dunedin Blue Jays moved to Florida Exchange Stadium in 1990. Florida Exchange Stadium is also the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays. The current population of Dunedin is 35,444.

Dunedin Blue Jays 2013:


Home Games: 68

Total attendance: 50,695 (down 4.51% from 2012: 53,091)

Average: 768 (down 7.47% from 2012: 830)

Highest attended game: 4,173 on Thursday, July 4th vs Clearwater

Lowest attended game: 206 on Sunday, July 7th vs Daytona

Low point of average attendance: Game 66, Aug 29th (753)

Double headers: 1 (Aug 13)

Cancellations: 1

Notable rehab assignments: Jose Reyes, Brett Lawrie, Josh Johnson, JA Happ, Darren Oliver

Other notable appearances: None

Breakdown:
(red highlight = below annual average of 768)

Overall:




By Month:




The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.




By Day:




Blue Jays attendance decreased 10% on the weekend compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.
  • Mon-Thurs average attendance: 806
  • Fri-Sun average attendance: 726
  • Difference: -10%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.




The following chart looks at how often daily attendance increases when compared to the day prior.




By Opponent:




By Starting Pitcher:




Thursday, December 18, 2014

Could City Council decision effect Rays attendance in 2015?

I am of the belief that a minimum level of fans will see baseball no matter what. No matter how bad the team is, no matter how bad ownership is, no matter how bad traffic is. A certain amount of hardcore fans will go.

Even in Montreal, when ownership, MLB, and other factors combined to submarine the once-respectable Expos, the team still drew 642,745 fans in 2001. Locally, when the Devil Rays were at their absolute worst, they still drew 1,058,695 in 2003. Even if we discount every fan who attended games versus the Red Sox and Yankees (364,330), there were still 694,365 fans in Tampa Bay who were willing to see the worst team with the worst ownership in the worst stadium in Major League Baseball.

Earlier this season, the ESPN Magazine Ultimate Team Rankings rated the 122 owners in the major four sports on honesty and loyalty to core players and local community. While the Miami Marlins, led by Jeffrey Loria, were 122nd, the Tampa Bay Rays placed 90th. The Tampa Bay Lightning were 18th.

If this poll was re-taken today, the Lightning would definitely be higher, the Marlins might be higher, and the Rays would probably be much lower. Not only have the Rays executed a drastic offseason personnel plan, but nothing has gone the team's way off the field either.

It is very possible the faith of the fanbase has been shaken. And that could affect attendance in 2015.

In 2002, the Charlotte Hornets fanbase was so riled up by its dislike of then-owner George Shinn, fans avoided Hornets games by the thousands. According to an Orlando Sentinel article,
"The dislike, the hatred, for George in this town right now is incredible," said Lynn Wheeler, a Hornets fan and city-council member who has supported him repeatedly in the past. "That's what this is all about. The people here still love the team, but the dislike for George is a stronger emotion. I don't agree with it, but I see it every day. And it's probably going to cost us all in the long run.''

Shinn and the Hornets are awaiting NBA approval on their application to relocate, citing a $1 million-a-month deficit and irreconcilable differences with the city, which repeatedly has turned down his demand for a new arena, and turned on his team to emphasize their distrust.

Could that happen to Stu Sternberg and the Rays? It is possible. Although with Shinn, the local animosity was personal. Blame for the Rays situation falls not only on the team, but also on the St. Pete City Council members who rejected the team's proposal to look at other locations in Tampa Bay in exchange for monetary compensation.

To the Rays advantage, baseball season is still months away. Their PR people have time to spin their perspective and their marketing team has time to pitch their message for the new season. They have time to get fans excited.

Faith in ownership is a factor in attendance. To what extent, it is tough to say. Fans don't take an ownership approval poll before buying tickets. But even if the team struggles, the ballpark experience isn't great, and the stadium remains isolated from the center of the region, if enough fans keep their dollars in their wallets, or spend their baseball money on other venues, it will be easy to sense their disapproval.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Could new Cuban relations have an impact on Tampa Bay baseball?

While Jeff Vinik was revealing his master plan for the Channelside area - a plan that includes hockey but not baseball - the national news was discussing the thawing of relations between the United States and Cuba, ending an over 50-year stalemate.

That Tampa's economic centers are ready to reap the benefits of increased opportunities with Cuba has been reported often over the last several years. After yesterday's news, there are even more people writing about the possibilities of new trade and new business opportunities.

According to the Tampa Bay Times,
Before the embargo, Cuba was Tampa Bay's biggest trading partner. Arthur Savage, president of longtime family shipping business A.R. Savage, envisions it mushrooming into a major trade partner again if this new era of normalization leads toward ending a decades-long embargo.

At the most basic level, that should result in more jobs and more income to the Tampa Bay area.

Increased relations with Cuba could also have an impact on baseball, not only in Tampa, but in Florida as a whole. As I wrote back in August, there is a long history of Cuban baseball in Tampa, from the early days of the Ybor City Cigar Teams to recent exhibitions between the University of Tampa and a Havana squad.

As people, goods, and ideas move from Tampa to Cuba, there is a possibility so too could baseball fandom. Although Cuba has its own baseball infrastructure, new telecommunications endeavors could mean new MLB fans. While the Marlins and Dodgers currently have the biggest MLB superstars of Cuban descent (Jose Fernandez and Yasiel Puig, respectively) the Rays would have a unique opportunity to win hearts and minds.

A new Rays stadium in or around Ybor City with an emphasis on Tampa's Cuban roots could go a long way. So too could hosting a Cuban Heritage Night with appearances by Cuban baseball players living in Tampa. Hosting exhibitions with Cuban teams could also help.

Of course, in years to come, MLB and Minor League Baseball could look to capitalize on the untapped Cuban market. While the first step would be to normalize amateur signing processes and remove human trafficking of athletes such as the aforementioned Puig, further steps could mean the return of Minor League Baseball and perhaps even Spring Training to Cuba.

Minor League Baseball traveling from Tampa to Havana is not unprecedented. According to MiLB.com,
Havana finally got minor league baseball in 1946 with the formation of the Class C Florida International League. In addition to the Cuban entry, the circuit consisted of teams in Tampa, Miami, Miami Beach, West Palm Beach and Lakeland.

The Havana club played in the FL International League until 1950, when it moved to the International League.

Spring Training in Cuba is not without precedent. According to CubanBeisbol.com, the New York Giants trained in Cuba in 1937; the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941, 1942, and 1947; and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953.

Could a current team move their spring training and Florida State League affiliate to Havana? Depending on how normal relations become, I think so. I think the Yankees would jump on the opportunity. They have the money and the global brand presence. And if the Rays move to Tampa and play the territorial rights card, having their own spring training country would fit the Yankees style of thinking big.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Dunedin and Blue Jays work towards a new stadium and agreement

While the Tampa Bay Rays stole the spotlight the last few weeks with their new manager and possibilities of relocation, another Tampa Bay area baseball club took a step towards their own long-term plans.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, new Dunedin mayor Julie Ward Bujalski met with officials of the Toronto Blue Jays to discuss the needs of the team and their chances of staying in Dunedin. The biggest hurdle for the team, according to the Times, is the need to either renovate Florida Auto Exchange Stadium or build a new stadium.

According to the Toronto Star, the Blue Jays have the option to extend their agreement with the City of Dunedin for two 5-year periods after 2017.

Unlike the Rays stadium ordeal, developments between the Blue Jays and the City of Dunedin will all be done behind closed doors.
In September 2013, the Jays sent a letter asking city officials to keep mum, citing a Florida law that threatens anyone who reveals the business plans of a private company that requests confidentiality with a misdemeanor.

It will be interesting to see how much public money will be going to cater to the Blue Jays, especially considering the Blue Jays low attendance levels.
As of August, Dunedin officials said they had been waiting about five months for the Jays to submit in writing a list of desired facility upgrades and cost estimate that the city can use to seek financial assistance from the county and state.

No doubt there are other facilities throughout the state clamoring for the same public dollars.

Despite the Blue Jays exploring other options and other Florida locations, the City of Dunedin remains supportive of the Blue Jays.
Bujalski said she and local baseball officials are planning festivities to celebrate the Jays' March 3 spring training opener. She said the chamber of commerce is gathering a delegation to once again travel to Toronto to show support during the team's first home game in April.

The Toronto Star also reports Dunedin has also become a favorite of retiring Blue Jays fans.
the Toronto fan base is likely very happy to be staying in the Tampa Bay area. Many long-time Jays fans purchased real estate in Dunedin, Palm Harbor or Clearwater years ago

Dunedin is one of the smallest cities in America with Minor League Baseball with a population of approximately 35,000.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Estimating Rays attendance if they move to Tampa

In light of the pending decision to possibly let the Rays look for locations for a new stadium in Hillsborough County, one of the biggest questions is "Will it matter?". Specifically, assuming TV and radio ratings stay the same, will a new ballpark have a significant effect on long-term attendance?

(We have look at long-term attendance because many studies have identified a "honeymoon effect", in which the allure of a new stadium spikes attendance, even if the team's on-the-field quality is poor. A new stadium has attraction value for its first few years.)

Bobby Lewis of WTSP.com tried to make the case that following a honeymoon effect, attendance to Rays home games might return to Tropicana Field levels. Lewis cited examples in Washington, Minnesota, and Miami as reasons for his case.

I disagree. Besides the fact that every market is unique and each faces its own challenges and situations, there is statistical reason to believe the Rays will do better in more central location.

In order to understand how the Rays might do in a new location, we have to look at how other sports teams do in that location. For example, if the Rays move to a location near Channelside or between Channelside and Ybor, they would be drawing from the same population base as the Tampa Bay Lightning. The population radii would be similar and travel to each stadium would be similar.

Currently, population radius and travel to the stadium are the biggest points people use in argument against Tropicana Field. According to the argument, these factors, combined with time length of the event, cause people to stay home instead of attend a Rays game. After working 9-to-5, they opt not to travel to the ballpark. Instead, they opt to go on the weekends.

(Average time of the event: MLB - slightly over 3 hours / NHL - 2 hours and 20 minutes)

Here is a breakdown of the Rays attendance during the week and on the weekends since 2007. For giggles, I also included the percentage of games versus Boston and New York played on the weekend.




A few things we see here:

First and foremost, since 2007, the Rays have drawn over 38% more people for weekend games than on weekday games. Only in 2008 was their weekend/weekday difference below 20%. In 2007 and 2014, the Rays drew over 50% more people for weekend games than weekday games.

Second, while the Rays average attendance on the weekends hasn't changed much since 2011, average weekday attendance has steadily dropped, from 17K in 2011 to 14K in 2014.

Here is a breakout of the Lightning attendance on weekdays and weekends since the 2007-2008 season.




Although their capacity is much smaller (only 19,204 compared to over 30,000 for Tropicana Field), the Lightning difference in weekend/weekday attendance is drastically smaller. Since the 2007-2008 season, the average weekday game draws 95% of the attendance of the average weekend game.

Even more shocking is the Lightning average weekday attendance has been above the Rays average weekday attendance every year since 2011. The Lightning have averaged over 18K on weekdays each year while the Rays haven't topped the 18K weekday average since 2010.

Since most polls claim MLB is more popular than the NHL in Tampa Bay, how else to explain this but location, location, location.

If the Rays were to move to Tampa in a location near Amalie Arena, we can estimate attendance during the week would be equal to the Lightning, if not more. Of course, demographic and income studies could clarify this, and I intend to get to those eventually.

But using the MLB average of a 20% increase in weekend attendance, and estimating MLB attendance based on the highest Tampa Bay NHL attendance, we can give the Rays a very safe, very preliminary estimated attendance.

(Note: We cannot assume due to a new Rays stadium location that weekday attendance would be 95% of weekend attendance as it is for the Lightning. In 2014, only 5 teams had a less than 5% weekend/weekday difference: the Giants, Red Sox, Cardinals, Angels, and the Dodgers. Of these teams, only the Cardinals had a 30-minute population radius under 2 million.

There is no feasible way baseball passion in the Tampa Bay area will mirror baseball passion in St. Louis. Tampa Bay sports demographics are far too fragmented to create a Cardinals-like fanbase. So the 5% difference is beyond reach.)

If the Rays can draw 19,000 per weekday to a new downtown Tampa location, and if they achieve only the MLB average of a 20% increase on weekends, then:

19,000 x 43 games = 817,000

19,000 x 20% = 22,800

22,800 x 38 = 866,400

Total attendance = 1,683,400

As mentioned, this is a very low estimate. But it would move the Rays to 28th in 2014 MLB attendance.

If we use the Rays 2007-2014 weekend/weekday average increase of 38%, Rays attendance looks a bit better.

19,000 x 43 = 817,000

19,000 x 38% = 26,220

26,220 x 38 = 996,360

Total attendance: 1,813,360

This total would move the Rays to 26th in 2014 MLB attendance. Again, this is also a very conservative number that does not calculate for demographics, regional income, and corporate support, and barely accounts for the difference in popularity between Major League Baseball and the NHL.

But there is clear and justifiable reason to believe attendance will increase if a new Rays stadium is in the vicinity of Amalie Arena.

The question now is: Is that increase worth the cost of moving?

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The Future of Baseball in St Petersburg

There are plaques lining Central Avenue, a main thoroughfare in St. Petersburg, that tell of the city's baseball history.

The St Petersburg Saints played their first game in 1902.

The Philadelphia Phillies spring trained in St. Petersburg from 1915-1918.

The Saints joined the Florida State League in 1920.

There are neighborhood practice fields named after Miller Huggins and Casey Stengel, managers of the Yankees when they trained in St. Petersburg from 1924-1942, 1946-1950, and 1952-1960.

The largest private collection of autographed baseballs in the world is in St. Petersburg.

The city was flirted with and then fought to bring Major League Baseball to the area.

Minor League Baseball ended in St. Petersburg in 2000, when the Devil Rays decided to move their affiliate to Bakersfield, California.

In 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays moved their Spring Training from St. Petersburg to Port Charlotte.

Earlier this year, Al Lang Stadium, home to baseball since 1946, was sold off to soccer.

Soon, the Rays might enter a deal that would mark the end of professional baseball in St. Petersburg.

What would Al Lang think?




(I've shared this video before, but it's one of my favorite videos on youtube.)

Monday, December 8, 2014

Rays, Tampa, and MLB Territorial Rule 52

Pending approval by the City of St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Rays have been given permission to look for new ballpark locations outside of St. Petersburg. For years, the organization hoped for the ability to look across the bay in Tampa and other locations. Now, pending approval, they might have that chance.

Here is where things could get very interesting:

If the Rays do move to Tampa, or anywhere more central to the Tampa Bay population, their "home territory" changes. According to the SoxProspects Wiki,
  • Each MLB and MiL team shall have protected territorial rights over a specific geographic area called a home territory.
  • The home territories are outlined in Attachment 52 to the ML Rules
  • Home territories of minor league clubs may be owned and granted by the leagues.
  • No team may play home games within 15 miles from the boundary of the home territory of another team, unless specifically expected.

Bullet 4 is interesting, especially considering there is a Minor League team in Tampa. Let's look at the current 15-mile radius of Steinbrenner Field (map created on mapdevelopers.com).




The red dot in the lower left is the current location of Tropicana Field. Notice it is not in Steinbrenner Field's 15-mile radius. But move the Rays anywhere in Tampa and there is a conflict.

What does Rule 52 says about overlapping Territorial Rights? (Again, from the SoxProspects wiki.)
  • An overlap exists if boundaries overlap or are within 15 miles of one another.
  • Overlap between MLB and MiL team – (1) neither club’s ballpark may be within 15 miles of the boundary of another home territory; and (2) home territories may not be shared without consent of the MLB club unless the ballpark is 50+ mile from the MLB club’s boundaries.
  • Overlap between MiL teams – governed by the Minor League Association

"Consent of the MLB club".

According to Doug Pappas, chairman of the Society of American Baseball Research's Business of Baseball Committee,
Rule 52 allows a major league club to block any other major or minor league clubs from playing within 15 miles of its territory without permission.

Would the Rays give permission to the Yankees to continue playing Minor League baseball and Spring Training in the Rays home territory?

Currently, the Yankees current lease on Steinbrenner Field extends to 2027. As I mentioned in a September post,
if the City of Tampa clears area for the Rays to move across the bridge, would they let the Yankees go? Would the Rays make moving the Yankees a condition in moving to Tampa? Would the Yankees willingly move?

Or would the Tampa Sports Authority try to have their cake and eat it too, balancing both the top drawing Spring Training team and a Major League team who, by the way, are division rivals? Would they keep the Rays in a crowded market?

I think it would disingenuous for the Tampa Sports Authority to want the Rays and the Yankees to call Tampa home. Would the TSA even have a say in the matter if the Rays exercised Rule 52?

If the Rays find a location, and if a new stadium is built, would their claim depend on how many years remain on the Steinbrenner Field lease? Would the Rays let the Yankees stay in Tampa until they get a new park built? Where would the Yankees move to (Orlando? Vero Beach? Ocala?)?

Things are about to get very interesting in the Tampa baseball market.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Rays Front Office Employee Learns about St Pete

According the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Rays employee Stephon Thomas recently finished the Leadership St Pete program. Hosted by the St Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce,
The program is a six-month experience designed to promote and enhance community leadership, according to a statement from the Chamber. Participants get an in-depth introduction to social, economic, business and political issues in the St. Petersburg area.

Thomas works in the Rays office of Development and Business Affairs. He is the Manager of Business Operations for the team.

Like their community charity work, the development of the Rays Card and membership, and the marketing of their new manager as a local product, the enrollment of a Rays employee in a half-year St Pete Chamber of Commerce program is evidence the organization is trying to deepen its bonds with the local community.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

New Rays Stadium Locations Explored by Tampa Bay Times

I don't get into the stadium talk too much on this site. There is a reason for that. Noah Pransky's Shadow of the Stadium blog has been covering the issue for years and he is much more knowledgeable on the subject than I could ever be.

However, that said, I did want to share a recent Tampa Bay Times article on the stadium situation that I found particularly interesting. Times writers Stephen Nohlgren, Richard Danielson and Jamal Thalji teamed up to write a long feature on where in Tampa a new baseball stadium might fit and where the construction of a stadium stands a chance. Remember: just because you can fit a stadium somewhere, doesn't mean the legal hoops can be jumped or that the owner of that parcel would want it there.

While Nohlgren, Danielson, and Thalji cover space and legality, they don't talk at all about cost. I am sure that would be an article for another day.

And I am sure Shadow of the Stadium will have his own responses to the article. But I highly recommend reading, if only to get a good idea of the situation.

Options for a Rays Stadium in Tampa - Tampa Bay Times

Friday, December 5, 2014

Rays announce Kevin Cash as new manager

On Friday afternoon, the Rays announced that Kevin Cash as their new manager. The team decided on Cash over Don Wakamatsu.

Last week, we looked at how the Rays might be able to market their new manager and how he could replace Joe Maddon as a presence in the community. Of the three candidates at the time, Cash had the best potential. Besides his high baseball acumen, Cash's Tampa baseball roots run deep.

Just by taking the helm, Cash continues a legacy of Tampa managers. According to Bill Chastain of MLB.com:
He also becomes the sixth Tampa-born manager in Major League history, and the second for the Rays, joining Lou Piniella (whom Cash played for in 2005), Hall of Famers Al Lopez and Tony La Russa, Dave Miley and John Hart.

That's a lot of baseball brains from the Tampa Bay area.

I don't expect Cash to be a full-time mascot and community representative. That's not his job. Nor will he have the same type of allure for the wine-and-cheese, Bayshore Blvd demographic that Joe Maddon had. But Cash provides a lot marketing potential, both in the "homecoming" narrative now and in the future with local connections and outreach.

Seeing how the Rays use that to their advantage will be interesting. Will they allow Cash to be public for a few months and then reel him back in to get him started on his managerial education? I would assume there will be a lot of behind-the-scenes mentoring and learning the organization going on.

Over the last few years, the Rays have emphasized deepening the bonds with the community and their fanbase, whether though community service or through Rays Card memberships and benefits. The hiring of Kevin Cash, besides bringing in one of the best young leaders in baseball, continues that theme.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Rays concessions relationship gives another black eye

A few days ago, the Tampa Bay Times wrote about a rehab center/homeless shelter that provides people with work but may not be paying them for their labor. The Tampa Bay Times claims the workers provided by New Beginnings worked at several sports facilities in Tampa Bay as well as at the Daytona 500.
While his other work-for-shelter businesses have floundered, Atchison can count on one steady source of income: sporting events. Atchison declined to say how much money New Beginnings makes working games, but acknowledged it's a "substantial portion of our budget."

Since the article first ran, New Beginnings seems to be facing increased scrutiny. According to a follow-up article, investigators are preparing to examine the organization.

Of course, concession employees are not Rays employees. As Cork Gaines pointed out,
The concessions are run by another company, Center Plate and they claim they were unaware that the homeless men were not being paid. If they didn’t know, it is almost certain that the Rays were unaware also.

Despite their distance, the Rays released a statement regarding their relationship. According to the Tampa Bay Times,
"We have spoken with Centerplate and voiced our concerns," the Rays statement said. "They have advised us that they are conducting an internal review of this organization and should reach a decision soon. We are confident they will handle this matter appropriately."

This isn't the first time the Rays have been on the defense regarding Centerplate operations. Last summer, Centerplate CEO Desmond Hague was removed from his position after a video of him kicking a dog surfaced. A few years earlier, Tropicana Field concessions were cited for multiple violations.

Back in 2010, the Rays refused to comment on Centerplate's actions. Now, they are in front of the issue. That's a good sign.

We will see how the Rays and other sports teams in the area continue to respond to this situation.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Attendance Review: 2012 Dunedin Blue Jays

Welcome to our 7th attendance review post on the Dunedin Blue Jays, minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. This post continues our series of looking back at trends in Tampa Bay area fan behavior since 2007.

Background:

The Dunedin Blue Jays began play in the Florida State League in 1987. After three seasons playing at Grant Field, the Dunedin Blue Jays moved to Florida Exchange Stadium in 1990. Florida Exchange Stadium is also the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays. The current population of Dunedin is 35,444.

Dunedin Blue Jays 2012:


Home Games: 70

Total attendance: 53,091  (up 23% from 2011: 43,148)

Average: 830 (up 27% from 2011: 654)

Highest attended game: 4,653 on Wednesday, July 4th vs Daytona

Lowest attended game: 406 on Sunday, August 5th vs Daytona

Low point of average attendance: Game 16, May 9th (678)

Double headers: 3 (Jun 25, Aug 28, Aug 29)

Cancellations: 2

Notable rehab assignments: Vladimir Guerrero (May 27 - May 30)

Other notable appearances: None

Breakdown:
(red highlight = below annual average of 830)

Overall:




By Month:




The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.




By Day:




Blue Jays attendance increased 3% on the weekend compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.
  • Mon-Thurs average attendance: 824
  • Sat-Sun average attendance: 867
  • Difference: +3%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.




The following chart looks at how often daily attendance increases when compared to the day prior.




By Opponent:




By Starting Pitcher: