Sunday, May 31, 2015

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 30, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, May 30, 2015:

Total Attendance: 5,235

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 25
  • Attendance: 744
  • Starting Pitcher: Jeremy Gabryszwski
  • Opponent: Tampa Yankees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Rookie Davis
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 878
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,484
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 874
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 829
  • Promotions (if any): Post-game Concert: None

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 21
  • Attendance: 4,491
  • Starting Pitcher: Steven Brault
  • Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chris Sadberry
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,939
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,547
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,008
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,290
  • Promotions (if any): Bright House Fan Appreciation Day

No other games scheduled

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 29, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, May 29, 2015:

Total Attendance: 4,711

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 23
  • Attendance: 1,165
  • Starting Pitcher: Conner Kendrick
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jimmy Reed
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,760
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,719
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,768
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,928
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 24
  • Attendance: 2,207
  • Starting Pitcher: Brandon Leibrant
  • Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kohl Stewart
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,930
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,184
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,196
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,482
  • Promotions (if any): Post-game Concert: Hunks of Funk/Black Honkeys

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 20
  • Attendance: 1,339
  • Starting Pitcher: Frank Duncan
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Nick Travieso
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,812
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,308
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,636
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,244
  • Promotions (if any): Free Shirt/Happy Hour Friday

No other games scheduled

Friday, May 29, 2015

A week in Rays attendance writing

While the Tampa Bay Lightning grabbed most of the sports headlines in Tampa Bay due to their playoff run, several local sports writers looked at Tropicana Field for additional stories. They found them in the subject of Rays attendance.

Yes, the Rays attendance does not look good. At all. Through 25 games, their average per game attendance of 15,023 was the worst since the 2002-2005 era.

Rays Average Per Game Attendance Through 25 Home Games:
  • 2003: 11,835
  • 2002: 13,446
  • 2005: 13,986
  • 2004: 14,291
  • 2015: 15,023
  • 2001: 15,077

This poor turnout has lead several local scribes scrambling to determine why. Many are looking at the Lightning success as cannibalizing other area sports. Others say Rays fans are turned off by stadium politics. Yet others even write the home of the Rays owner makes a difference.

This post will dissect each article, pull out their theories, and see how provable they are. Are the writers basing their articles on fact or on speculation? Are they talking to sports business experts or any local resident who happens to have an idea?

The first article of the week to discuss Rays turnout was written by acclaimed author Peter Golenbock in Creative Loafing.

Golenbock leans on a lot of familiar theories to include:
  • Non-native fans holding on to non-Tampa Bay sports allegiances
  • The impact of Spring Training on the sports economy
  • HD TVs
  • The condition of Tropicana Field
  • The presence of the Yankees in Tampa
  • The bridges (aka distance from a large segment of the population)
  • Where Rays ownership makes his residence

Unfortunately, Golenbock uses no statistics to prove the impact of any of his theories. While I agree with several, without numbers, his article is just a bunch of guesses.

Regular readers of this site know I have put numbers to the demographics issue, the impact of Spring Training, the presence of the Yankees, and the distance issue. The rest of his theories are useless without polling or surveys. And the HD TV issue is a weak crutch, unless more Tampa Bay area residents own HD TV than any other MLB market.

And if owners needed to live near team, how do we explain the popularity of the Yankees in New York when George Steinbrenner lived in Tampa? That's a tin foil hat, sport radio speculation theory if I ever heard one.

The next article to discuss Rays attendance was written by Chris O'Donnell in the Tampa Tribune. O'Donnell used a lot of statistics in his opening paragraphs, which was good.

Among the reasons O'Donnell cites:
  • Departure of big names such as Maddon and Zobrist
  • Excitement around the Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Impact of fantasy stats on in-game experience
  • The retirement of Yankees stars on games versus the Yankees
  • The condition of Tropicana Field

My biggest critique of O'Donnell's article is who he used as sources.
  • NY-based sports marketing company CEO Brandon Steiner
  • St. Petersburg City Councilman Karl Nurse
  • Brett Morgan of the Top off the Trop effort
  • Daniel Etna, a sports law attorney at New York firm Herrick, Feinstein LLP
  • St. Petersburg Councilman Jim Kennedy

Of these, Brett Morgan has the most credibility. Politicians and NY-based sources are not experts on the Tampa Bay sports market. All they have is guesses, none of which they prove or disprove. So while, O'Donnell's article presented the problem well, it lost focus when it tried to determine the "why".

The next day, Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times penned an editorial that continued the Lightning versus Rays narrative. Jones says Rays attendance is plummeting because the Lightning are the most "fun" team in town.

While I would agree Lightning games have become an event, and events trump regular season games on Sundays and twice over on weekdays, Jones's rationale is completely without merit.

Without any polling or market surveys, here are the reasons why Jones says the Lightning are the most popular team in Tampa Bay:
  • Community-focused ownership
  • Lightning games are fun to watch
  • Hockey players are the best people

Only the second of these has any credibility. But without polling or surveys, Jones is assuming he is the voice of the Tampa Bay sports fan. But when Tampa Bay is as diverse as he claims it is, how can he claim to know what fans like or don't like?

Finally, there is his claim that "Tampa Bay is not considered a great sports market". This is a comment I hear often and I think it is horrible. There is no "ranking" of sports markets. How would this be done? Attendance? Amount of sports radio airtime? Ratings? Jersey sales? People who identify as sports fans?

What Tampa Bay does lack is a unified sports fanbase. That is because Florida is more of a melting pot than most states. Pittsburgh, Kansas City, etc do not have that problem. That does not make Tampa Bay a weak overall market. The same amount of time is being spent on sports as any other place. What diversity does is make Tampa Bay a difficult market to "win" for local teams.

The fourth and most recent article to discuss Rays attendance was co-written by Tampa Bay Times writers Zachary T. Sampson and Claire McNeill. This was probably the best article of the bunch.

Like O'Donnell, Sampson and McNeill introduce their article with a lot of facts and figures, and explore Rays attendance when the Lightning play. Like O'Donnell, they also quote several people to get different perspectives.

But who Sampson and McNeill talked to made all the difference.
  • Mark Ferguson, owner of Ferg's Sports Bars outside of Tropicana Field and Amalie Arena
  • Michael Mondello, professor of sports marketing in the University of South Florida Muma College of Business
  • William Sutton, director of the USF Sport and Entertainment Management program
  • Three random local fans

Of course, the fans provide emotional responses. They are fans, that's what they do. But I really liked the quotes from marketing professors. They are in the business of teaching people how to win hearts and minds. They are experts in their field and they are local.

The only thing that would have made the article better is if they talked to a sports economist as well. In a highly competitive sports market such as Tampa Bay both marketing and economics play equal roles.

Four articles in five days. If Rays attendance continues to slide, we can expect more. Some will be good, some will pure speculation. Every so often I'll opine on which is worth the read.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 28, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, May 28, 2015:

Total Attendance: 3,547

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 21 / 22
  • Attendance: 1,166
  • Starting Pitcher: Matt Wotherspoon / Gabriel Encinas
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Will Anderson / Luke Weaver
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,790
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 4,996
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,014
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,166 / 1,603
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 22 / 23
  • Attendance: 1,553
  • Starting Pitcher: Mark Leiter / David Whitehead
  • Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Ryan Eades / Brett Lee
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,964
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,172
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,314
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,720 / 1,708
  • Promotions (if any): Thirsty Thursday / Ladies Night



Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 19
  • Attendance: 828
  • Starting Pitcher: Cody Dickson
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jackson Stephens
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,836
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,298
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 856
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,161
  • Promotions (if any): Thirsty Thursday

No other games scheduled

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Tampa Bay Minor League Baseball Outdraws Rays

There is no arguing Tampa Bay is a highly competitive sports market, especially in baseball. There are numerous baseball options Tampa Bay baseball fans can spend money on from February to October. There are four spring training camps, four Minor League stadiums, and one Major League stadium.

During Spring Training, each location draws near capacity. Then during baseball season, the brand recognition of Major League Baseball usually draws more fans than all the other options combined.

Most of the time.

On Wednesday, the combined attendance of Tampa Bay area Minor League Baseball outdrew the Rays for the first time in over eight years.

Due to several concurrent promotions, the Tampa Yankees, Clearwater Threshers, and Bradenton Marauders combined to draw 13,719 fans.
  • The Tampa Yankees drew 8,865 to their Kids' Day promotion.
  • The Clearwater Threshers drew 2,791 to their City of Clearwater 100th Anniversary Fireworks Celebration.
  • The Bradenton Marauders drew 2,103 to Fan Appreciation Day.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays drew 10,365 to their game.

In total, 3,354 more fans chose Minor League Baseball than Major League Baseball on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area.

The last time local Minor League Baseball outdrew the Rays was 5/18/2007 when Roger Clemens made a highly publicized rehabilitation start for the Tampa Yankees. That day, the Tampa Yankees drew 10,257 and the Clearwater Threshers drew 7,649. The then-Devil Rays drew only 13,003, or 4,903 less than area Minor League Baseball.

Every so often, a Minor League team in a distant market has a big promotion and outdraws the Rays. This leads some people to think the Rays should move to that market. What those fans fail to realize is that promotion attendance is the exception, not the norm.

In this case, however, these promotions occurred in the same market, targeted to the same fans. If those promotions or teams did not exist in the Tampa Bay market, those fans might have gone to Tropicana Field. Those fans made a choice based on convenience, event, cost, or some other factor.

For those who don't realize the unique competition in the Tampa Bay market, here is a list of the 11 Minor League teams that play within 30 miles of a Major League stadium. Four play in the Tampa Bay area, near the team with the lowest average attendance in Major League Baseball.




Notes:
  • In the case of the NY City teams, the Mets are the closer MLB team.
  • All data was acquired via Google Maps.
  • Distance in time is without traffic.
  • Click to download the full list of Minor League team distances from MLB stadiums.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 27, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, May 27, 2015:

Total Attendance: 24,084

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 27
  • Attendance: 10,365
  • Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer
  • Opponent: Seattle Mariners
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Felix Hernandez
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 14,651
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,131
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,148
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 15,467
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: None

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 20
  • Attendance: 8,825
  • Starting Pitcher: Jonathan Holder
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Trey Neilsen
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,822
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 8,825
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,467
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,149
  • Promotions (if any): Kids' Day

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 21
  • Attendance: 2,791
  • Starting Pitcher: Victor Arano
  • Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Mat Batts
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,034
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,791
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,522
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,001
  • Promotions (if any): City of Clearwater 100 Year Celebration



Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 18
  • Attendance: 2,103
  • Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Barrett Astin
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,892
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,533
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,139
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,565
  • Promotions (if any): Fan Appreciation Day



No other games scheduled

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Is Tropicana Field costing the Rays 2,000 fans per night?



There have been many articles lately on the problems the Rays have drawing fans to Tropicana Field. Everyone has their pet theories ranging from fan disapproval of Stu Sternberg to the idea that Tampa Bay is a bad area for professional sports. One common theory that many cite is that Tropicana Field is not a good place to watch baseball.

Over the last few weeks, we have also seen several articles and editorials discussing the impact of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Rays attendance. I've written about the phenomenon a few times myself.

So which is it: is hockey keeping fans away or it is the stadium? Or a combination of both?

To take a guess at the answer, let's look at a comparable city and try to extrapolate answers.

In my article last week on Rays Index, I compared the Tampa Bay market to the Pittsburgh market. There are several similarities between these two cities.

Population
  • Tampa Bay: 2,870,569
  • Pittsburgh: 2,659,937

Sports teams:
  • Tampa Bay: MLB, NFL, NHL
  • Pittsburgh: MLB, NFL, NHL

Both cities are also on the American City Business Journal list of "overstretched" cities, meaning there is not enough total income in the city to support the amount of sports franchises.

Six years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins advanced through the NHL Playoffs and won the Stanley Cup. During this time, the Pittsburgh Pirates played 26 home games at PNC Park.

2009 Pittsburgh Pirates - first 26 home games
  • Avg Attendance: 16,588
  • Attendance over 30,000: 2
  • Attendance under 10,000: 4
    • Monday, April 20: 8,790
    • Tuesday, April 21: 9,917
    • Monday, May 4: 8,482
    • Tuesday, May 5: 9,775

The Penguins were not playing at Mellon Arena on any date where the Pirates drew less than 10,000. They played road games on April 21 and May 4 and did not play at all on April 20 and May 5. The following image shows the Penguins 2009 playoff schedule (click to enlarge).




On May 29, 2009, The Allegheny Institute wrote about the Pirates attendance. They blamed lack of attendance solely on the Pirates' record and failed to mention anything on the Penguins' playoff run. They compared Pittsburgh to St. Louis and lamented that the local government built the new stadium for such a bad team.
The Pirates are filling just 40 percent of the seats in the highly touted PNC Park that was supposed to attract 30,000 fans per game and provide the revenue to make the team competitive. What a bill of goods that was. The taxpayers will never get a positive return on their investment-an investment they did not want to make.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals who play in a similar sized market are drawing over 40,000 per game and in Milwaukee (a smaller metro area than Pittsburgh) the team is pulling over 36,000 per game.

----

Pittsburgh has not been a baseball town in the way St. Louis has been and the owners have chosen for years not to have the kind of payroll of teams who are perennially competitive.

Like the Pirates in 2009, the 2015 Tampa Bay Rays are facing severe market competition from their regional hockey team.

2015 Tampa Bay Rays - first 26 home games
  • Avg Attendance: 14,815
  • Attendance over 30,000: 1
  • Attendance 10,000: 2
    • Thursday, May 7: 8,701
    • Tuesday, May 26: 9,628

Like the Pirates, many writers say Tampa Bay is not a "baseball town". They say it is a poor sports market. Some out-of-town writers even call for the Rays to leave the area based on their attendance.

But where were these national writers when the Pirates weren't drawing?

There are two major differences between the 2009 Pirates and the 2015 Rays.
  1. Rays are good, Pirates were not
  2. PNC Park was (and still is) considered one of the nicest ballparks in MLB, Tropicana Field is not

Perhaps the Pirates still might have struggled at the gate if they had a winning record. Perhaps the Rays would draw more if they played in a nicer, more centrally located facility.

Currently, the Penguins still make the playoffs, the Pirates are a better team, they still play in PNC Park, and in 2014, they still had regular attendance draws under 15,000. Such is life.

But if we look at the Pirates attendance in the first 26 games of 2009 and subtract the Rays attendance for the first 26 games of 2015, we get a difference of 1,773 more fans per game. For a worse team in a better ballpark with better regional support and a more established fanbase.

Of course it difficult to compare factors between markets, and this requires much more study. But while what is happening in Tampa Bay right now is a rare phenomenon, it is neither new nor exclusive.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 26, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, May 26, 2015:

Total Attendance: 10,590

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 26
  • Attendance: 9,628
  • Starting Pitcher: Alex Colome
  • Opponent: Seattle Mariners
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: JA Happ
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 14,815
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,015
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,065
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 10,284
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning Playoff Game (Amalie Arena) Attendance: 19,204

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 26
  • Attendance: 962
  • Starting Pitcher: Jayson Acquino
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Sal Romano
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,880
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 962
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 945
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,220
  • Promotions (if any): 1/2 Way to Halloween

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 20
  • Attendance: Postponed (Rain)
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,433

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 21
  • Attendance: Postponed (Rain)
  • Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,047

No other games scheduled

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Attendance Review: 2011 Bradenton Marauders

Welcome to our third attendance review of the Bradenton Marauders. 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 2011 Bradenton Marauders.

Overview: The Bradenton Marauders began play in the Florida State League in 2010. The Marauders play their home games at McKechnie Field. McKechnie Field is also the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2013, the population of Bradenton was 51,763.

Bradenton Marauders 2011:

Home Games: 68

Total attendance: 102,491 (up 97.65% from 2010: 51,856)

Per Game Average: 1,530 (up 86% from 2010: 823)

Highest attended game: 5,684 on Monday, July 11th vs Lakeland

Lowest attended game: 603 on Wednesday, April 13th vs Jupiter

Double headers: 1 (July 9th)

Cancellations: 0 (2 games relocated to Port Charlotte: May 4th and May 5th)

Notable rehab assignments: None

Other notable appearances: None
Breakdown:

(red highlight = below annual average of 1,530)

Overall:




By Month:




The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.




By Day of the Week:




Marauders attendance increased 9% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.
  • Mon-Thurs average attendance: 1,448
  • Fri-Sun average attendance: 1,590
  • Increase: 9%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.




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




By Opponent:




By Starting Pitcher:




The following 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.





Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 25, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, May 25, 2015:

Total Attendance: 10,401

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 25
  • Attendance: 10,401
  • Starting Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi
  • Opponent: Seattle Mariners
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Roenis Elias
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 15,023
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,401
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 17,354
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 14,630
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: None

No other games scheduled

Monday, May 25, 2015

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 24, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, May 24, 2015:

Total Attendance: 16,248

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 24
  • Attendance: 15,692
  • Starting Pitcher: Erasmo Ramirez
  • Opponent: Oakland A's
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Sonny Gray
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 15,216
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 13,459
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 18,278
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 15,814
  • Promotions (if any): Cody Simpson post-game concert
  • Other local events:
    • Rush - rock concert (Amalie Arena)
    • Sunset Music Festival (Raymond James Stadium)
    • American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Games (Bright House Field) Attendance: 1,037

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 24
  • Attendance: 556
  • Starting Pitcher: Justin Shafer
  • Opponent: St. Lucie Mets
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Robert Gsellman
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 883
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 638
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 559
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,863
  • Promotions (if any): None

No other games scheduled.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 23, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, May 23, 2015:

Total Attendance: 16,042

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 23
  • Attendance: 15,207
  • Starting Pitcher: Nathan Karns
  • Opponent: Oakland A's
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kendall Graveman
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 15,195
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 12,714
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 19,187
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 13,538
  • Promotions (if any): The Jacksons post-game concert
  • Other local events:

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 23
  • Attendance: 835
  • Starting Pitcher: Luis Santos
  • Opponent: St. Lucie Mets
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kevin McGowen
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 898
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 666
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 918
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 628
  • Promotions (if any): None

No other games scheduled.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Rays reducing ticket prices during Lightning playoffs

Last week, I asked whether a tweet about attendance by Rays pitcher Chris Archer was a precursor to an adjustment in ticket prices. Currently, not only are the Rays last in average attendance per game, they are getting absolutely crushed in the market by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Until yesterday, there was no added incentive to support the Rays and pass on the Lightning experience. Lightning games are now an "event", leaving the Rays as an afterthought.

Last night, Tampa Bay Times Rays writer Marc Topkin reported the Rays are reducing ticket prices in the TBT Party Deck (Upper Left Field 300 level) for the remainder of the homestand.
Though they didn't announce or promote it, the Rays are offering a lower-priced ticket during this homestand, selling bleacher seats in the TBT Party Deck for $7 Friday and Monday-Wednesday against Seattle, and for $13 today and Sunday.

$7 for a Major League Baseball ticket. That's quite the deal. Although the ticket is for the upper left field deck, fans can always venture down to The Porch bar and food area in center field or watch the game from the 360 concourse in the lower deck. There is no need to stay in the upper deck.

This homestand continues until Wednesday, May 27th. Following the homestand, the Rays are on the road until June 9th. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning played at Game 5 of their playoff series at home May 22, then may play a possible Game 7 versus the New York Rangers in Tampa on Tuesday, May 26th.

If the Lightning make it to the Stanley Cup finals, they should be two or three games into their series by the time the Rays return. If that is the case, the Rays could extend the ticket deal through the weekday series versus the Angels on June 9, 10, 11.

In an earlier column, Topkin wrote that the Rays could offer deals, "if they wanted to". That comment, plus Archer's tweet, led me to believe a ticket reduction was coming.

The Rays needed to find a way to stop the bleeding caused by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
  • Rays avg attendance prior to NHL Playoffs: 19,506
  • Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 1: 16,891
  • Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 2: 13,298
  • Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 3: 11,450

Will the ticket deals work? Although they are not announced and not promoted, as word of mouth spreads, reduced tickets could help. On the other hand, they might not. But they are an interesting way to test fan incentive.

Perhaps the ticket deals are not announced or promoted as the Rays don't want to be seen as competing against the Lightning. But with the deal extending only as far as the Lightning are in the playoffs, it is hard to see the decision any other way.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 22, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, May 22, 2015:

Total Attendance: 12,917

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 22
  • Attendance: 12,329
  • Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer
  • Opponent: Oakland A's
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Scott Kazmir
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 15,194
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 11,467
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,921
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 16,317
  • Promotions (if any): Volleyball Night
  • Other local events:

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 22
  • Attendance: 588
  • Starting Pitcher: Jairo Labourt
  • Opponent: St. Lucie Mets
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Rob Whalen
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 900
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 581
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 913
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 856
  • Promotions (if any): None

No other games scheduled.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Rays Index guest post on Tampa Bay sports economics

Before I started this site, I occasionally wrote at Cork Gaines's blog Rays Index. Cork allowed me to write whatever I wanted about the Rays. It was a great opportunity to establish a voice and write long pieces about the team, the players, fans, and the ballpark experience.

Cork was also a big help when I started this site, providing advice and words of wisdom.

With that in mind, over the last year, I knew I wanted to write a guest post for Rays Index that coincided with what I write about here. Something that would inform his readers about the market and the Rays ability to win "hearts and minds".

For a local comparison, this is a blogging version of when one of the smaller Tampa Bay micro breweries go to Cigar City Brewery and brew their own top beer and sell it in the Cigar City tasting room.

With an invite to Rays Index secure, I decided to explore the conclusions of few interesting recent economic studies and look at their results from the Rays perspective.

While I think the article turned out well, the overall result is not good.
we can conclude the Tampa Bay market is overstretched and over-saturated, especially in baseball. The decisions of professional sports leagues and city governments in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, and Dunedin have created an environment difficult for the success of Major League sports.

Click here to read the post. And thanks again to Cork for the opportunity.

Tampa Bay sports market is overstretched and over-saturated (Rays Index)

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 21, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, May 21, 2015:

Total Attendance: 11,179

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 21
  • Attendance: 10,605
  • Starting Pitcher: Alexander Colome
  • Opponent: Oakland A's
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jesse Chavez
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 15,331
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,605
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,279
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 10,612
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Games (Bright House Field)

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 21
  • Attendance: 574
  • Starting Pitcher: Murphy Smith
  • Opponent: St. Lucie Mets
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Dillon Gee
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 915
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 574
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 902
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 747
  • Promotions (if any): None

No other games scheduled.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Tampa Bay sports market is overstretched and over-saturated




A few weeks ago, the American City Business Journals published a study that explored the economic capacity of various sports markets in America and Canada. The study was designed to see which markets were underutilized in regards to sports and which markets, if any, were overstretched. The results also gave insight into if expansion or franchise relocation were to happen, where should teams move to and where might they be best to move from.

The amount of research done in this study was massive. According to their methodology page, the ACBJ used a metric called Total Personal Income (TPI), “the sum of all money earned by all residents of an area in a given year”. This data came from 2013, “the latest year for which statistics are available from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.”

After determining TPI, the ACBJ did the following:

  • Analyzed U.S. combined statistical areas and metropolitan statistical areas (as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget) and Canadian census metropolitan areas (as defined by Statistics Canada).

  • Used team revenue data and average ticket prices to estimate the amount of TPI needed to adequately support a team in each of the professional leagues, as well as any of the 64 college football/basketball programs within the Power Five conferences (Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-12 and Southeastern)

  • Determined minimum TPI bases to be $104 billion for an MLB team, $48 billion in the NFL, $45 billion in the NBA, $50 billion in the NHL, $14 billion in MLS and $26 billion in the Power Five.

  • Calculated each area’s remaining amount of TPI by subtracting the sums needed to support the market’s existing teams.

Of course, there were some shortcomings to the study and not every market is the same. As the methodology page states in its conclusion,
Economic capacity is only one facet of any decision to expand or relocate. Other considerations would obviously be of similar importance, such as the proximity to existing teams, the availability of stadiums or arenas, and unique local factors.

The study also does not factor in non-Major League sports, such as non-MLS soccer, arena football, or Minor League Baseball. All of which Tampa Bay has.

According to the study, the Tampa Bay area is tied for the fifth most overextended market in professional sports.




Based on the ACBJ study, Tampa-St Pete compares well with Pittsburgh and Kansas City in regards to market size, amount of teams, TPI, and the over-extension of their markets. Also of note, both cities with Spring Training (Phoenix and Tampa Bay) are considered overextended. Although Spring Training is heavily influenced by tourist income, there are many local dollars being spent on Spring Training in the Tampa Bay area.

When combined with demographics, the Tampa Bay market looks even worse, especially for the Tampa Bay Rays. Using the Facebook/New York Times survey from 2014, data shows 56% of Pinellas County and 51% of Hillsborough County are Rays fans. Comparably, 68% of Pittsburgh’s Alleghany County roots for the Pirates and 64% of Kansas City’s Jackson County roots for the Royals.

While not every resident is on Facebook or “likes” the team on Facebook, if we believe “liking” behavior is the same in the Tampa Bay area and is the same as it is in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, then we have to conclude the Rays have less local support than the Pirates or Royals.

So not only does the area lack the funds to support the Rays, the Rays lack the people willing to provide it funds.

Comparing Baseball to Baseball

There was a second interesting article published last week exploring market support for sports. This article focused specifically on baseball and calculated total baseball ticket purchases per population. It totaled tickets purchases for Major and Minor League Baseball in each market and divided the total by population – basically, how many baseball tickets the average person in an area buys.

According to author Brett McGinness, Tampa Bay baseball fans almost buy as many tickets per person as residents of the City of Boston (.67) and slightly more than the residents of Washington DC (.62).




Again, some interesting points: this does not include Bradenton in the Tampa Bay area, which I normally do. It only includes purchases for the Rays, Tampa Yankees, Dunedin Blue Jays, and Clearwater Threshers. It also does not include Spring Training.

Let’s assume half of the 341,379 tickets purchased in 2014 for Yankees, Phillies, and Blue Jays Spring Training were done by locals. That would mean 170,690 more tickets purchased from Tampa Bay baseball fans. Let’s see how the chart changes.




By adding half of Spring Training, the Tampa Bay area moves from 15th on McGinness’s chart to 11th, above San Diego and Seattle, and below Minneapolis-St. Paul. However, the Tampa Bay area still purchased only 70% of the baseball tickets per person that residents of Pittsburgh (1.07) and Kansas City (1.08) purchased.

While adding a fraction of Spring Training ticket purchases is good for the area, for the Rays, adding Spring Training to the equation is also not good. With the addition of 50% of Spring Training tickets, the Rays share of total Tampa Bay baseball tickets purchased drops from 80% to 73%. Comparatively, the Indians, another team with low attendance and several Minor League teams in the area, have 81% of Cleveland area baseball ticket purchases.

Looking again at Kansas City and Pittsburgh, Google maps shows those teams do not have the Minor League competition the Rays face. The only Minor League team in Missouri or Kansas is the Springfield Cardinals in Springfield, Missouri, 165 miles from Kansas City. While Pennsylvania has several Minor League teams, the team closest to the Pittsburgh Pirates is the Altoona Curve, 95.7 miles away.

Considering their lack of competition, there is a good chance 100% of baseball ticket purchases in Pittsburgh and Kansas City are for Pirates and Royals games, respectively.

Of course, we can’t get carried away with Minor League competition. Minor League Baseball does not eat into the above-mentioned TPI as much as Major League sports do. The average Florida State League ticket is $4-6 and parking is often free, if not less than $5. Minor League teams also often have discounted ticket promotions, ranging from $1 to 2-for-1 to free.

However, while Minor League Baseball in Tampa Bay doesn’t have a large economic impact, it may be an acceptable substitute good, especially for the casual fan who just wants to hang out, grab a beer, and could care less about a score. And according to another McGinness post, the three Tampa Bay area Florida State League teams have the lowest season ticket costs in professional baseball.

As a matter of fact, you could buy season tickets to all three Tampa Bay area Minor League teams (210 games total) for $601.45. As of May 20th, a Rays June-October weekend-only season ticket plan (27 games) costs $551.30.

So what does all this mean for Tampa Bay sports, and the Rays in particular?

Through the work of the ACBJ and Brett McGinness, we can conclude the Tampa Bay market is overstretched and over-saturated, especially in baseball. The decisions of professional sports leagues and city governments in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, and Dunedin have created an environment difficult for the success of Major League sports. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are fortunate a majority of their seasons do not overlap with other sports. For the Tampa Bay Rays, until major market changes occur, reliance on revenue sharing and opposing fanbases is essential to their success.

Tampa Bay sports market is overstretched and over-saturated

A few weeks ago, the American City Business Journals published a study that explored the economic capacity of various sports markets in America and Canada. The study was designed to see which markets were underutilized in regards to sports and which markets, if any, were overstretched. The results also gave insight into if expansion or franchise relocation were to happen, where should teams move to and where might they be best to move from.

The amount of research done in this study was massive. According to their methodology page, the ACBJ used a metric called Total Personal Income (TPI), “the sum of all money earned by all residents of an area in a given year”. This data came from 2013, “the latest year for which statistics are available from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.”

After determining TPI, the ACBJ did the following:
  • Analyzed U.S. combined statistical areas and metropolitan statistical areas (as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget) and Canadian census metropolitan areas (as defined by Statistics Canada).
  • Used team revenue data and average ticket prices to estimate the amount of TPI needed to adequately support a team in each of the professional leagues, as well as any of the 64 college football/basketball programs within the Power Five conferences (Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-12 and Southeastern)
  • Determined minimum TPI bases to be $104 billion for an MLB team, $48 billion in the NFL, $45 billion in the NBA, $50 billion in the NHL, $14 billion in MLS and $26 billion in the Power Five.
  • Calculated each area’s remaining amount of TPI by subtracting the sums needed to support the market’s existing teams.
Of course, there were some shortcomings to the study and not every market is the same. As the methodology page states in its conclusion,
Economic capacity is only one facet of any decision to expand or relocate. Other considerations would obviously be of similar importance, such as the proximity to existing teams, the availability of stadiums or arenas, and unique local factors.
The study also does not factor in non-Major League sports, such as non-MLS soccer, arena football, or Minor League Baseball. All of which Tampa Bay has.

According to the study, the Tampa Bay area is tied for the fifth most overextended market in professional sports.

Based on the ACBJ study, Tampa-St Pete compares well with Pittsburgh and Kansas City in regards to market size, amount of teams, TPI, and the over-extension of their markets. Also of note, both cities with Spring Training (Phoenix and Tampa Bay) are considered overextended. Although Spring Training is heavily influenced by tourist income, there are many local dollars being spent on Spring Training in the Tampa Bay area.

When combined with demographics, the Tampa Bay market looks even worse, especially for the Tampa Bay Rays. Using the Facebook/New York Times survey from 2014, data shows 56% of Pinellas County and 51% of Hillsborough County are Rays fans. Comparably, 68% of Pittsburgh’s Alleghany County roots for the Pirates and 64% of Kansas City’s Jackson County roots for the Royals.

While not every resident is on Facebook or “likes” the team on Facebook, if we believe “liking” behavior is the same in the Tampa Bay area and is the same as it is in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, then we have to conclude the Rays have less local support than the Pirates or Royals.

So not only does the area lack the funds to support the Rays, the Rays lack the people willing to provide it funds.

Comparing Baseball to Baseball

There was a second interesting article published last week exploring market support for sports. This article focused specifically on baseball and calculated total baseball ticket purchases per population. It totaled tickets purchases for Major and Minor League Baseball in each market and divided the total by population – basically, how many baseball tickets the average person in an area buys.

According to author Brett McGinness, Tampa Bay baseball fans almost buy as many tickets per person as residents of the City of Boston (.67) and slightly more than the residents of Washington DC (.62).

Again, some interesting points: this does not include Bradenton in the Tampa Bay area, which I normally do. It only includes purchases for the Rays, Tampa Yankees, Dunedin Blue Jays, and Clearwater Threshers. It also does not include Spring Training.

Let’s assume half of the 341,379 tickets purchased in 2014 for Yankees, Phillies, and Blue Jays Spring Training were done by locals. That would mean 170,690 more tickets purchased from Tampa Bay baseball fans. Let’s see how the chart changes.

By adding half of Spring Training, the Tampa Bay area moves from 15th on McGinness’s chart to 11th, above San Diego and Seattle, and below Minneapolis-St. Paul. However, the Tampa Bay area still purchased only 70% of the baseball tickets per person that residents of Pittsburgh (1.07) and Kansas City (1.08) purchased.

While adding a fraction of Spring Training ticket purchases is good for the area, for the Rays, adding Spring Training to the equation is also not good. With the addition of 50% of Spring Training tickets, the Rays share of total Tampa Bay baseball tickets purchased drops from 80% to 73%. Comparatively, the Indians, another team with low attendance and several Minor League teams in the area, have 81% of Cleveland area baseball ticket purchases.

Looking again at Kansas City and Pittsburgh, Google maps shows those teams do not have the Minor League competition the Rays face. The only Minor League team in Missouri or Kansas is the Springfield Cardinals in Springfield, Missouri, 165 miles from Kansas City. While Pennsylvania has several Minor League teams, the team closest to the Pittsburgh Pirates is the Altoona Curve, 95.7 miles away.

Considering their lack of competition, there is a good chance 100% of baseball ticket purchases in Pittsburgh and Kansas City are for Pirates and Royals games, respectively.

Of course, we can’t get carried away with Minor League competition. Minor League Baseball does not eat into the above-mentioned TPI as much as Major League sports do. The average Florida State League ticket is $4-6 and parking is often free, if not less than $5. Minor League teams also often have discounted ticket promotions, ranging from $1 to 2-for-1 to free.

However, while Minor League Baseball in Tampa Bay doesn’t have a large economic impact, it may be an acceptable substitute good, especially for the casual fan who just wants to hang out, grab a beer, and could care less about a score. And according to another McGinness post, the three Tampa Bay area Florida State League teams have the lowest season ticket costs in professional baseball.

As a matter of fact, you could buy season tickets to all three Tampa Bay area Minor League teams (210 games total) for $601.45. As of May 20th, a Rays June-October weekend-only season ticket plan (27 games) costs $551.30.

So what does all this mean for Tampa Bay sports, and the Rays in particular?

Through the work of the ACBJ and Brett McGinness, we can conclude the Tampa Bay market is overstretched and over-saturated, especially in baseball. The decisions of professional sports leagues and city governments in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, and Dunedin have created an environment difficult for the success of Major League sports. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are fortunate a majority of their seasons do not overlap with other sports. For the Tampa Bay Rays, until major market changes occur, reliance on revenue sharing and opposing fanbases is essential to their success.

Bradenton Marauders name new General Manager

According to a recent press release, the Bradenton Marauders have promoted Rachelle Madrigal to the position of Director, Sales and General Manager.
Madrigal has worked for the Pirates since 2007, most recently holding the title of Manager, Sales and Marketing. In addition to taking point on the day-to-day operations of the Bradenton Marauders, she will continue to oversee all sales and marketing initiatives for both Pirates Spring Training and the Marauders.

Madrigal is also a highly accomplished employee.
Madrigal was recognized as the Female Executive of the Year in the Florida State League in 2014. She is currently the only woman to hold the general manager title in the league. She is a 2007 graduate of UMass Amherst.

Of course, there is a significant difference between the general manager position in the Major Leagues and the general manager position. While a big league GM is responsible for player acquisition and the talent side of the team, general managers at the Minor League level are responsible for the business side of the team. They have little to no impact on player decisions, but instead make the operational decisions that make the ballpark go.

Since their first game in 2010, the Bradenton Marauders have had their ballpark renovated and had a considerable attendance increase. Attendance has been between 100,000 and 120,000 total every year since 2011. As of May 19th, the Marauders were averaging 1,937 fans per game and are on pace for 135,590, which would easily be a franchise record.


Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 20, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, May 20, 2015:

Total Attendance: 588

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 20
  • Attendance: 588
  • Starting Pitcher: Jeff Hoffman
  • Opponent: Tampa Yankees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Matt Borens
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 932
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,731
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 570
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 588
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: American Athletic Conference Baseball Championships Games (Bright House Field) Attendance: 1,287

No other games scheduled.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Attendance Review: 2010 Bradenton Marauders

Welcome to our second attendance review of the Bradenton Marauders. 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 2010 Bradenton Marauders.

Overview: The Bradenton Marauders began play in the Florida State League in 2010. The Marauders play their home games at McKechnie Field. McKechnie Field is also the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2013, the population of Bradenton was 51,763.

Bradenton Marauders 2010:

Home Games: 68

Total attendance: 51,856

Per Game Average: 823

Highest attended game: 3,353 on Saturday, May 1st vs Charlotte

Lowest attended game: 446 on Monday, May 24th vs Fort Myers

Double headers: 5 (June 22nd, July 24th, Aug 15, Aug 26, Aug 28)

Cancellations: 1

Notable rehab assignments: None

Other notable appearances: None
Breakdown:

(red highlight = below annual average of 823)

Overall:




By Month:




The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.




By Day of the Week:




Marauders attendance increased 26% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.
  • Mon-Thurs average attendance: 723
  • Fri-Sun average attendance: 972
  • Increase: 26%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.




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




By Opponent:




By Starting Pitcher:




The following 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.




Additional Bradenton Marauders Reviews:

Attendance Review: 2014 Bradenton Marauders

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 19, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, May 19, 2015:

Total Attendance: 4,048

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 19
  • Attendance: 4,048
  • Starting Pitcher: Justin Shafer
  • Opponent: Tampa Yankees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jonathan Holder
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 950
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,303
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,717
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher:
  • Promotions (if any): Education Day
  • Other local events: American Athletic Conference Baseball Championships Games 1 & 2 (Bright House Field) Attendance: 1,062

No other games scheduled.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

American Athletic Conference Championship Coming to Bright House Field

While the Clearwater Threshers embark on a road trip for the next week, the American Athletic Conference will be using Bright House Field for their annual championship tournament. The tournament will feature the University of South Florida's baseball team, the University of Central Florida, and several other conference teams.

According to the press release:
Bright House Field will host The American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship from May 19-24. This year’s tournament will include eight teams and will be a double-elimination format until the final. Teams in The American championship tournament are UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, USF, and Tulane.
The tournament’s first two games will be televised live on CBS Sports Network Tuesday, May 19. The American Digital Network will have live coverage of games from Wednesday, May 20, through Saturday, May 23. The May 24 final will be live on ESPNU.
The American’s conference RPI is rated third of the 32 Division I conferences, while the league has six teams among the top 50 in RPI and seven among the top 60.
Visit the Bright House Field Ticket Office for tickets or call 727-467-4457 to order or for more information. All tickets will be general admission: $8/day or $6/day for students, seniors, children, and military. A tournament 6-day pass is $36 or $18 for students, seniors, children, and military.

The University of South Florida Bulls, who went 32-22-1, averaged 758 fans per game this season at the USF Baseball Stadium.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 18, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, May 18, 2015:

Total Attendance: 4,451

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 18
  • Attendance: 557
  • Starting Pitcher: Luis Santos
  • Opponent: Tampa Yankees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chaz Hebert
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 778
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 557
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 554
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 577
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: None

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 16
  • Attendance: 3,894
  • Starting Pitcher: Andy Otamendi
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Aaron Slegers
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,937
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,105
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 4,462
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,894
  • Promotions (if any): Free Ticket Night

No other games scheduled.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 17, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, May 17, 2015:

Total Attendance: 4,551

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 19
  • Attendance: 1,073
  • Starting Pitcher: Anyelo Gomez
  • Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Javier Salas
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,433
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,883
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,574
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,073
  • Promotions (if any): Family Sunday
  • Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 20
  • Attendance: 1,456
  • Starting Pitcher: David Whitehead
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jackson Stevens
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,047
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,672
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,642
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,747
  • Promotions (if any): Motorcycle Day

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 15
  • Attendance: 2,022
  • Starting Pitcher: Cody Dickson
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Alex Reyes
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,807
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,508
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,338
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,245
  • Promotions (if any): Family Fun Sunday

No other games scheduled.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Ben's Biz visits Dunedin with Special Guests



I've discussed the travels of Minor League Baseball business and promotions guru Ben Hill before. Earlier this season, Ben visited Bradenton and Tampa to visit the Marauders and Yankees, respectively. When he returned from his excursion, Ben wrote about his visits and I summarized them here and here.

Now it's time to summarize Ben's last Minor League stop in the Tampa Bay area, his visit to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, home of the Dunedin Blue Jays.

(Note: Ben didn't get a chance to visit the Clearwater Threshers on this trip, but he did visit Bright House Field a few years ago.)

Like his posts on the Tampa Yankees and Bradenton Marauders, Ben's chronicles in Dunedin are divided into three parts, a trilogy of sorts, if you will. Three trilogies of Florida Minor League Baseball. Even better than Lord of the Rings.

Part one of Ben's Dunedin diary is entitled "An All-Access Pass in Dunedin". Ben begins by detailing the lack of attendance in Dunedin and the Florida State League and then talks about his fondness for smaller Minor League locales.
I was psyched to attend this game because I truly love these sort of environments, as teams operating on the margins of the industry are prone to be more creative with their promotions and, in general, a loose anything-goes sort of vibe prevails. Sparsely attended games within older stadiums in smaller markets are, strangely enough, when the ballpark atmosphere seems most alive to me. Eccentric characters are easier to find; connections are easier to make.

So, yeah: While it’s always great to visit shiny new ballparks with all the amenities — your Charlottes, your Nashvilles, your El Pasos — it is perhaps even greater to  spend time in the lesser-known locales as well. I don’t just feel obligated to visit the likes of Bakersfield, Kannapolis, Beloit and Dunedin. I genuinely want to.

He then details Dunedin's very unique Universal Rain Check, which enables anyone with a ticket to a rained out game anywhere to redeem the ticket at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. In other words, if you buy a ticket to Tampa Yankees game (or anywhere else), and the game gets rained out, you can take the ticket to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium and watch a Dunedin Blue Jays game for no additional cost.

Ben's a fan of the policy, as am I.

Part two of Ben's Dunedin diary is entitled "Dealing in Dunedin". In this episode, Ben throws out the first pitch, talks promotions with Blue Jays Director of Marketing and Social Media Nate Kurant, competes in a trivia contest with a local Jays fan, and sees his first special guest: Ken Carson, President of the Florida State League and Dunedin resident.

The final and concluding episode of Ben's Dunedin adventure, entitled "Never Done Eating in Dunedin", is my personal favorite. Partly, nay, mostly because of its special guests.

When I heard Ben was coming to town, I made it a point to visit Dunedin to say hello. I met Ben a few years ago at the MLB Winter Meetings and corresponded with him few years before that via twitter. Ever since a website I used to write for, Bus Leagues Baseball, interviewed Ben to get his take on the charm of Minor League Baseball, we had become e-migos.

Visiting Florida Auto Exchange Stadium also gave me a chance to finally meet another legendary Minor League personality, former Birmingham Barons clubhouse attendant Jeff Perro, aka @MiLBClubbie on twitter.

Knowing Ben liked having guest eaters for his ballpark reviews, I volunteered. My efforts were well documented.

This post is getting quite meta, I will admit. I am writing about Ben writing about me. Although it does get worse, since Ben linked to my other site's blog post about my eating adventure, this post is actually me writing about Ben writing about me writing about me eating for Ben.

The Minor League life has a way of doing that.

Episode three marked the end of Ben's journey in the Tampa Bay area. He then went on to Daytona and other Parts Unknown to continue his chronicles.

As I have mentioned before, it is always interesting to read what people think of baseball in Tampa Bay. We have so much of it, sometimes I think we take it granted. Especially baseball played in the tucked in the tiny corners of Tampa Bay suburbia.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 16, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, May 16, 2015:

Total Attendance: 9,091

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 17 / 18
  • Attendance: 2,693
  • Starting Pitcher: Conner Kendrick / Gabriel Encinas
  • Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Clint Terry / Brandon Woodruff
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,455
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,693
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,062
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,310 / 2,693
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other local events: Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer match - Al Lang Stadium (Attendance: 6,851)

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 19
  • Attendance: 5,372
  • Starting Pitcher: Mark Leiter
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Barrett Astin
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,136
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 4,781
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 4,866
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 4,685
  • Promotions (if any): Fireworks

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 14
  • Attendance: 1,026
  • Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jimmy Reed
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,792
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,252
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,514
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,026
  • Promotions (if any): Baseball Bingo / Ladies Day

No other games scheduled.