Saturday, April 30, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 29, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, April 29, 2016:

Total Attendance: 18,928

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 14
  • Attendance: 13,679
  • Starting Pitcher: Drew Smyly
  • Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Aaron Sanchez
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 15,919
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 17,370
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 15,240
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 12,970
  • Promotions (if any): $15 student rush
  • Other events:
    • Beyonce concert - Raymond James Stadium
    • 98 Rock Fest - Amalie Arena

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 12
  • Attendance: 5,249
  • Starting Pitcher: Ranfi Casimiro
  • Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Alexander
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,148
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 5,249
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 4,434
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,740
  • Promotions (if any): Free Shirt Friday / Decades of Dance Concert

No other local games scheduled.

Friday, April 29, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 28, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, April 28, 2016:

Total Attendance: 1,604

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 9
  • Attendance: 891
  • Starting Pitcher: Alex McRae
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jacob Evans
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,750
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 732
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 891
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 897
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other events: None

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 10
  • Attendance: 713
  • Starting Pitcher: Conner Greene
  • Opponent: Tampa Yankees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Vincente Campos
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 815
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 661
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,046
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 899
  • Promotions (if any): None

No other local games scheduled.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 27, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, April 27, 2016:

Total Attendance: 12,959

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 13
  • Attendance: 11,850
  • Starting Pitcher: Matt Moore
  • Opponent: Baltimore Orioles
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chris Tillman
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 16,091
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 11,948
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,074
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 14,550
  • Promotions (if any): $2 hot dog Wednesday
  • Other events: Tampa Bay Lightning playoff game @ Amalie Arena (attendance: 19,092)

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 8
  • Attendance: 549
  • Starting Pitcher: Austin Coley
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Blake McKnight
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,858
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 653
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 549
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 899
  • Promotions (if any): None

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 9
  • Attendance: 560
  • Starting Pitcher: Kyle Westwood
  • Opponent: Tampa Yankees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Brody Koerner
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 826
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 636
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 560
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 813
  • Promotions (if any): None

No other local games scheduled.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 34209

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 34209:



The red outline is zip code 33594. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 31,816
  • Median Income: $53,196
  • Average Age: 54.2
  • White: 29,810 (93.7%)
  • Black: 766 (2.4%)
  • Hispanic: 1,626 (5.1%)
  • Rays fans: 7,636 (48% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 1,750 (11% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,273 (8% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 29.8 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 49.4 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 46.3 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 51.9 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 5.5 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 36.8 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 50 miles

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 26, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, April 26, 2016:

Total Attendance: 13,029

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 12
  • Attendance: 10,998
  • Starting Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi
  • Opponent: Baltimore Orioles
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Ubaldo Jimenez
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 16,445
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 11,997
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,346
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 13,518
  • Promotions (if any): $2 Kids Tuesday
  • Other events: None

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 7
  • Attendance: 757
  • Starting Pitcher: Yeudy Garcia
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Austin Gomber
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,045
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 757
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 757
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,880
  • Promotions (if any): None

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 9
  • Attendance: 712
  • Starting Pitcher: Ryan Borucki
  • Opponent: Tampa Yankees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Gabriel Encinas
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 859
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 712
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 712
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 873
  • Promotions (if any): None

University of South Florida Bulls:
  • Team Home Game #: 26
  • Attendance: 562
  • Opponent: Florida International University
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 706

No other local games scheduled.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Stu Sternberg talks competition in Tampa Bay baseball market



On Sunday, Tampa Bay Times writer Marc Topkin spoke with Rays owner Stu Sternberg about the Yankees receiving money from Hillsborough County for Steinbrenner Field upgrades. I've written about this political decision a few times over the last few weeks. I called it "unnecessary" and "dishonest". I also though it was rushed and based on a biased economic impact study.

Needless to say, I am not a fan.

But Stu Sternberg is.

According to Topkin, Sternberg believes any money spent on any baseball in the area is good for the game.
"It's about the sport. It's good for the sport. It shows that Hillsborough is committed to and sees the value of baseball in their midst."

Even if the baseball is alternative options to his Major League team and commitments that line the pockets of teams his team competes with.

Sternberg also said:
"I'd be more concerned if all the municipalities chose not to want spring training in their midst and not to want teams, because they don't really see the value to their constituents for baseball."

But I thought Hillsborough County re-upped the Yankees because of the tourist income, not because the Yankees had value for the local constituents.

And aren't those constituents the same constituents who could be Rays fans?

Just because every municipality wants baseball, doesn't mean they should get it. Does every Pittsburgh suburb have a team? Does every St. Louis suburb have a team?

No. They don't. They support the regional Major League team.

Then Topkin asked Sternberg about competition in the market. This is a great question and Sternberg's answer was very interesting.
"They're there," he said. "In a straight-up fashion, it is a dramatic impact on us, and it's not positive that we have so many spring training teams in our midst. It has some positive benefits in that we get Blue Jay fans coming to some games, we get Tiger fans coming to some games.

"But to have all those teams around us, it does create a problem in selling tickets and sponsorships, but they're there. We just have to live with it and make the best of it and use it as a positive."

Part of this I disagree with. The Rays would get Blue Jays fans and Tigers fans coming to some games whether Spring Training was there or not. As a matter of fact, they would probably get more if Spring Training wasn't there. Because those fans would have no other choice but to attend a game at Tropicana Field versus the Blue Jays, Tigers, or Yankees. But those options exist and fans spend money on them.

Sternberg's comments might be the first time I've ever heard the Rays mention they have trouble winning the market or bringing in revenue because of Spring Training.

Imagine if Topkin's article had been written with the paragraphs in a different order. Had Topkin entitled his article "Rays Owner Says Spring Training Hurts Sponsorship", the article would have a totally different tone. Had Sternberg's comments about the Yankees-Hillsborough County agreement been buried on the bottom, maybe he wouldn't been seen as compliant to the many obstacles the Rays face in winning their market.

It does surprise me that the Rays never fight back. When other MLB owners don't believe they can succeed in the area and the Rays accept relationships between municipalities and alternative baseball options, the Rays appear weak and powerless in their own region.

Do they really think a new stadium and "second generation fans" are all they need to win the market? Do they not think pushing for a monopoly of baseball dollars in a small market is important? Do they think Tampa Bay has the economic capacity to support more baseball than any other region?

I'm not sure I agree with their position on these questions.

But at least local media asked the right questions.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 25, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, April 25, 2016:

Total Attendance: 12,996

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 11
  • Attendance: 12,996
  • Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer
  • Opponent: Baltimore Orioles
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kevin Gausman
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 16,940
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 12,996
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 14,056
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 18,251
  • Promotions (if any): Military Monday
  • Other events: None

No other local games scheduled.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Tampa Bay Spring Training Attendance Lowest Since 2010

Last week, the Florida Sports Foundation published attendance figures for the 2016 Grapefruit League season. According to the report, the Grapefruit League did great again, eclipsing 1.5 million for the 14th time in 17 years.

But what they didn't say was that total Spring Training attendance across Florida decreased 61,893 or 3.8%.

How did the four teams in the Tampa Bay area do?

Since 2008, there have been four teams training in the Tampa Bay area: the Yankees (Tampa), Blue Jays (Dunedin), Phillies (Clearwater), and Pirates (Bradenton).

The current capacities for each team’s stadium are as follows:
  • Steinbrenner Field (Yankees): 11,000
  • Bright House Field (Phillies): 8,500
  • McKechnie Field (Pirates): 8,500
  • Florida Auto Exchange Stadium (Blue Jays): 5,521

The biggest news in the area was at Clearwater's Bright House Field where the Phillies set a single day stadium record with 11,222 fans for a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Here are updated charts and graphs of Tampa Bay area Spring Training attendance from 2005-2016. From 2005-2008, this chart includes the Tampa Bay Rays, who trained in St. Petersburg before moving to Port Charlotte.

Tampa Bay Area Overall Spring Training Attendance:




In 2016, Spring Training attendance in the Tampa Bay area decreased 2%, or an average of 157 fans per game. While not great, that’s slightly better than the overall Grapefruit League decrease of 3.8%. The following chart shows the yearly total averages and percentage increase or decrease of all spring training in the Tampa Bay area since 2005.




Total 2016 Tampa Bay area Spring Training attendance was the lowest per game average since 2009. 2016 and 2015 were also the first time attendance had dropped two years in a row. My initial guess on the 2010 increase is that 2009 was the year the Phillies and Yankees were both in the World Series. Previous year regular season success probably has a correlation with following year spring training attendance.

The following graph breaks out individual team per game attendance.




In 2016, only one team in the Tampa Bay area had an increases in per game Spring Training attendance and three teams had decreases.
  • Blue Jays: +5.15%
  • Yankees: -0.75%
  • Pirates: -2.19%
  • Phillies: -5.63%

Blue Jays spring training attendance since 2005:




In 2016, the Blue Jays gained in both total attendance and attendance per game. Their per game average was its highest in the last 11 years. If we assume previous year success is a reason, the Blue Jays made the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

Yankees spring training attendance since 2005:




In 2016, the Yankees had their lowest per game attendance in at least 11 years. Since 2011, Yankees per game attendance has dropped 7%. Of course, this hasn't stopped local politicians and newspapers from claiming they routinely sell-out. Nor has it stopped local politicians from extending the Yankees for 20 more years at their current location.

To their defense, we don't see the variance in attendance with the Yankees we see with other teams. This is probably because the Yankees are one of the most popular teams in Florida. Combined local, in-state, and tourist demand and the Yankees can easily fill 80% of Steinbrenner Field for every game.

Pirates spring training attendance since 2005:




The good news is the Pirates again eclipsed 100,000 total fans at McKechnie Park. The bad news is average attendance per game was down for the second year in a row. A successful young team and renovations to McKechnie Park have made Pirates Spring Training more in demand.

Phillies spring training attendance since 2005:




In 2016, the Phillies had their smallest total Spring Training attendance since 2006. They have also decreased four years in a row and decreased 27% since 2012. Since their peak in 2012, Phillies per game attendance has dropped over 2,000 fans per game. We might be able to explain this drop on team performance and the Phillies’ fall from NL East prominence.

Conclusion:

While the Governor and other politicians are quick to praise Spring Training attendance, an exploration into the numbers shows the state and the local area's totals decreased.

This spring's big winner was the Blue Jays. Being the class of the AL East probably helped their Spring Training attendance. The increase in Jays Spring attendance however was not enough to offset decreases from the Yankees, Pirates, and Phillies.

Although Tampa Bay spring training attendance decreased at a slower rate of the rest of the state, the overall decline is noticeable. If we link prior season win-loss record to Spring Training attendance, then it puts the Tampa Bay region in a very awkward position. Local businesses, hotels, and restaurants should root for the Yankees, Pirates, Phillies, and Blue Jays to do well during the season, even if it means defeating the local Major League team. The better those teams do, the more highly attended their Spring Training the following year. The more highly attended Spring Training, the better the Spring Training economy. The better the Spring Training economy, the happier the governor is.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 24, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, April 24, 2016:

Total Attendance: 2,751

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 11
  • Attendance: 1,435
  • Starting Pitcher: Will Morris
  • Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kodi Medeiros
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,957
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,655
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,435
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,679
  • Promotions (if any): Brunch at the Park
  • Other events: None

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 11
  • Attendance: 1,316
  • Starting Pitcher: Chance Adams
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Keury Mella
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,298
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,853
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,316
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,485
  • Promotions (if any): Family Funday

No other local games scheduled.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 23, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, April 23, 2016:

Total Attendance: 10,621

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 10
  • Attendance: 7,260
  • Starting Pitcher: Tyler Viza
  • Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Angel Ventura
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,110
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 4,766
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 7,260
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 4,367
  • Promotions (if any): Star Wars Night
  • Other events: None

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 10
  • Attendance: 3,361
  • Starting Pitcher: Ian Clarkin
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Mahle
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,296
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,121
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,361
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,003
  • Promotions (if any): Post Game Fireworks

No other local games scheduled.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 22, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, April 22, 2016:

Total Attendance: 3,153

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 9
  • Attendance: 2,271
  • Starting Pitcher: Elniery Garcia
  • Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Brandon Woodruff
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,648
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,271
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 4,027
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,271
  • Promotions (if any): Free Shirt / Post-game concert
  • Other events: None

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 9
  • Attendance: 882
  • Starting Pitcher: Vincente Campos
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jake Paulson
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,067
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 882
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,373
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 851
  • Promotions (if any): Wing Deal Friday

No other local games scheduled.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Hillsborough County Needlessly Approves Yankees Extension



On Tuesday, the Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a deal between the county and the New York Yankees to improve Steinbrenner Field and extend the Yankees Spring Training for another 20 years in Tampa.

According to the Tampa Bay Times,
The deal commits more than $13 million in Hillsborough County tourism tax dollars to the project and is also contingent on Florida matching those dollars through a spring training retention fund. The Yankees will pay the remaining $13 million.
The Times also writes that the vote was "swift and unanimous".

That not one county commissioner questioned the deal is a incredibly odd and an example of what is wrong with our region.

This absolutely should have been questioned. Unfortunately, now it seems the commission blindly followed the lead of Commissioner Ken Hagan's faulty claims and an economic study published by the Yankees themselves.

In my opinion, Hillsborough County is giving millions of taxplayer dollars to a team worth billions to upgrade a stadium the richest team in baseball was in no danger of leaving.

The Yankees contract was due to end in 2026. They were guaranteed tenants for 10 more years. There was no need to extend them.
Improvements include new seats throughout the 10,000-capacity ballpark, roof replacements, a better entry plaza and an upgraded outfield concourse.
How will these improvements increase revenue? Maybe the upgraded outfield concourse will enable a new concession stand. Maybe the Yankees will charge more because of the better seats. These are both maybes and not guaranteed return on investments.

While I already proved the Yankees Spring Training doesn't "routinely sell out", like Commissioner Hagan and the Tampa Tribune claim, they do average crowds of 10,000 per their annual 15 to 17 spring games. If half of those attendees are tourists and all of those tourists only attend one game, we are looking at 85,000 tourists in the Tampa area per year here to see baseball.

That seems small when compared to Busch Gardens or other area attractions.

Another point to consider is that Hillsborough County made a deal with the Yankees knowing they also would like to make a deal with the Rays. How can Commissioner Hagan and the other members can look the Rays in the eye and offer community loyalty when the commission approves funding a rival team didn't even need?

Especially if spring training attendance is linked to record and the better the Yankees do the year before (in other words, if they finish ahead of the Rays), the better their Spring Training attendance.

As I said before, if I was the Rays, I would be furious.
Under the existing contract, the county was not obligated to pay for any of the upgrades, but it agreed to in exchange for the Yankee's long-term commitment to Tampa.
If this is true, the Yankees would have made the upgrades this season without the County paying a dime. Then, in a few years, the County and the Yankees could have made their extension deal at another cost. Did the Yankees make unrevealed threats that lack of public dollars would be a deciding factor ten years from now?

While this is a completely unnecessary move by the county, it is a brilliant move by the Yankees. They wrote an economic study that was not challenged, proposed a business plan that was not challenged, then received money to repair a stadium they could have paid for themselves, and received a deal that locked them into a highly contested market.

The Yankees know the Rays would love to be like almost every other Major League team and not share their market with Spring Training and Minor League Baseball. The Yankees also know the Rays are looking for a new home, possibly in Hillsborough County. Lastly, the Yankees know they have 18% of the baseball fan market in the Tampa Bay region.

In order to maintain that 18% and continue to leverage it for Spring Training and other income, the Yankees proposed a decent deal to county and the county fell for it hook, line, and hanging sinker.

If the Yankees left, local and regional baseball fans would have to go to Tropicana Field or Stadium X to get their fix of Yankees baseball. Which means the revenue would go in the pocket of the Rays. However with the current system, the Yankees receive revenue from Tampa Bay area residents.

Hillsborough County ensured (without challenge) this awkward arrangement will continue for another 20 years.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 21, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, April 21, 2016:

Total Attendance: 2,883

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 8
  • Attendance: 2,231
  • Starting Pitcher: Ranfi Cansimiro
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tejay Antone
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,696
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,320
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,943
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,231
  • Promotions (if any): Taps and Tacos Thursday
  • Other events: None

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 8
  • Attendance: 652
  • Starting Pitcher: James Kaprielian
  • Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kyle Westwood
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,090
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 701
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,506
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 721
  • Promotions (if any): Happy Hour Thursday

No other local games scheduled.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 20, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, April 20, 2016:

Total Attendance: 2,036

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 7
  • Attendance: 1,363
  • Starting Pitcher: Matt Imhof
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher:Wyatt Strahan
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,762
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,364
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,570
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,933
  • Promotions (if any): Senior Day
  • Other events: None

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 7
  • Attendance: 673
  • Starting Pitcher: Gabriel Encinas
  • Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Juliandry Higuera
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,153
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 726
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 728
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 673
  • Promotions (if any): Kids Eat Free Wednesday

No other local games scheduled.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 19, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, April 19, 2016:

Total Attendance: 4,144

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 6
  • Attendance: 3,365
  • Starting Pitcher: Tom Eschelman
  • Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher:Keury Mella
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,995
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,365
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,644
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,571
  • Promotions (if any): $1 Tuesday
  • Other events: None

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 6
  • Attendance: 779
  • Starting Pitcher: Chance Adams
  • Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Ryan Borucki
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,233
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 779
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 799
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,570
  • Promotions (if any): 2 for 1 Tuesday

University of South Florida Bulls:
  • Team Home Game #: 25
  • Attendance: 630
  • Opponent: Bethune-Cookman
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 712

No other local games scheduled.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 18, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, April 18, 2016:

Total Attendance: 1,215

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 6
  • Attendance: 600
  • Starting Pitcher: Brandon Waddell
  • Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Alexander
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,260
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,723
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 600
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 600
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other events: None

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 7
  • Attendance: 615
  • Starting Pitcher: Tom Robson
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Ian McKinney
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 881
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 734
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 615
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 615
  • Promotions (if any): None

No other local games scheduled.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Tampa Bay Rays Attendance During Tampa Bay Lightning Games 2007-2015

Last season there was a lot of discussion as to how much, if any, the Tampa Bay Lightning affect the attendance of the Tampa Bay Rays. While the Rays schedule overlaps with the Bucs, Rowdies, Storm, and Lightning, the possibly exciting conclusion of the Lightning schedule, especially when a Stanley Cup run is involved, may give a strong market advantage to the local hockey team.

Not only have I written about this phenomenon twice (once in 2014 and again in 2015), the Tampa Bay Times also had a good article on this sports market competition last year. They quoted several people, including a few USF sports marketing professors.
"It's pretty clear that their success has hampered the attendance of the Rays," said Michael Mondello, professor of sports marketing in the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. "I don't think there's any doubt about that."

and
"Whenever you have a hot team, everybody's going to follow the hot team," said William Sutton, who also teaches in the Muma College of Business and directs the USF Sport and Entertainment Management program. "That would have an adverse effect on anybody."

Lightning fans and locals want to keep up with the watercooler conversation, he said. The decision is not fully financial.

"It's more a question of how they're going to spend their time than their money," Sutton said. And it's not until after Memorial Day that baseball attendance really picks up, he said.

The following chart depicts all 23 dates since 2007 that the Rays have played on the same day as the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Highlighted boxes = Lightning playoff games.
D/N = Day or Night game.
Rays Avg Annual Attendance/Day” is the Rays average attendance on that day during that year (for example: 19,452 is the Friday average attendance during 2007).
% Difference” is the percentage difference between the Rays attendance during that particular game and the Rays average attendance on that day for the year.




There are only six times since 2007 that the Rays attendance on hockey night exceeded their annual daily average. Of those six, two were on Rays Opening Day, three were against the Yankees, and one was during a Wil Myers bobblehead night in 2014.

In 2015, the Rays and Lightning played seven games on the same date. This was more dates than any season since before 2007. Similar to 2011, every date that had both a Lightning and Rays was a Lightning playoff game. Unlike previous years, in 2015, even Rays games against the Yankees struggled when coinciding with Lightning games. By the time the Lightning were eliminated, every Rays game that coincided with a Lightning game saw an attendance lower than average.

Although we can compare individual dates, the important thing to remember is that fans' wallets don't regenerate daily. Most people get paid bi-weekly. So if they are spending their paycheck on Lightning tickets, they will have to wait at least a few days to afford Rays tickets.

We also have to consider time expense. Do fans have time to go to two or more events per week, especially on the weekday? If they have the time to attend one game a week, will they choose the Lightning or the Rays?

Here is the Rays average attendance during each round of the NHL playoffs in 2015.
  • Rays avg attendance prior to NHL Playoffs (3 games, Apr 6-8) : 19,506
  • Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 1 (9 games, Apr 17-26): 16,891
  • Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 2 (6 games May 7-12): 13,298
  • Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 3 (7 games May 21-27): 12,032
  • Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 4 (7 games June 9-15): 13,479

In total, the Rays played 34 home games before the Lightning season ended. During those 34 games, Rays average attendance was 14,409. In their 47 remaining home games, Rays average attendance was 16,122.

Of course, we also have to account for the routine increase in baseball attendance in the summer. Typically, while attendance increases in June and July, it decreases in August and September if the Rays are not in playoff contention, which evens out the effect. If the Rays are in playoff contention, attendance maintains its summer increase.

With the Lightning again in the playoffs, how much of an impact should we expect on Rays attendance this season?

The best answer is "it depends". It depends how long the Lightning playoff run continues. So far in 2016, the Rays have played two home games on the same date as the Lightning.




Like in 2015 and 2011, every date in which the Lightning and Rays play will be a Lightning playoff date. This year, however, the Rays have daily promotions.

Based on the past, we know a Lightning playoff run will have an impact on Rays attendance. This effect has varied between -3% and -37% on the average attendance for the day of the week.

Some people will always choose the Rays over the Lightning, just as some people will always choose the Lightning over the Rays. Some will stay home and watch both. Some people don't care about either. But we have to consider the Tampa Bay population as the majority of the potential attendance for both events. Hearts, minds, and dollars are trying to be won by both teams.

To paraphrase Yoda, "Begun, the attendance war has."

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 17, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, April 17, 2016:

Total Attendance: 23,319

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 10
  • Attendance: 21,810
  • Starting Pitcher: Matt Moore
  • Opponent: Chicago White Sox
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jose Quintana
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 17,334
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 23,020
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 26,426
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 15,450
  • Promotions (if any): Family Fun Day / Bark in the Park
  • Other events: None

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 5
  • Attendance: 903
  • Starting Pitcher: Alex McRae
  • Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Endrys Briceno
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,592
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,097
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 824
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 903
  • Promotions (if any): Family Fun Sunday

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 6
  • Attendance: 606
  • Starting Pitcher: Conner Greene
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Matt Pearce
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 925
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 774
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 711
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 992
  • Promotions (if any): Kids Free on Sunday

No other local games scheduled.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 16, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, April 16, 2016:

Total Attendance: 32,767

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 9
  • Attendance: 30,451
  • Starting Pitcher: Erasmo Ramirez
  • Opponent: Chicago White Sox
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: John Danks
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 16,837
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 23,626
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 30,451
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 30,451
  • Promotions (if any): Kevin Kiermaier bobblehead
  • Other events:

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 4
  • Attendance: 1,250
  • Starting Pitcher: Austin Coley
  • Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Artie Lewicki
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,014
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,694
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,586
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,250
  • Promotions (if any): Friends and Family Night

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 5
  • Attendance: 1,066
  • Starting Pitcher: Kyle Westwood
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jacob Evans
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 989
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 858
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,050
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,066
  • Promotions (if any): Bark at the Park

No other local games scheduled.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 15, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, April 15, 2016:

Total Attendance: 21,591

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 8
  • Attendance: 16,801
  • Starting Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi
  • Opponent: Chicago White Sox
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chris Sale
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 15,136
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 15,136
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 15,136
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 14,779
  • Promotions (if any): $15 Student Friday
  • Other events: Tampa Bay Lightning Playoff Game (Amalie Arena) Attendance: 19,092

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 3
  • Attendance: 4,139
  • Starting Pitcher: Yuedy Garcia
  • Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Daniel Morris
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,602
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 4,139
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 4,139
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,442
  • Promotions (if any): Free Shirt / Bark in the Park

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 4
  • Attendance: 651
  • Starting Pitcher: Juliandry Higuera
  • Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Blake McKnight
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 970
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 651
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 651
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 651
  • Promotions (if any): None

No other local games scheduled.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 14, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, April 14, 2016:

Total Attendance: 14,730

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 7
  • Attendance: 10,715
  • Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer
  • Opponent: Cleveland Indians
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Danny Salazar
  • Avg Attendance to Date:14,898
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,371
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 10,715
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 20,878
  • Promotions (if any): $15 Senior Thursday
  • Other events: None

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 5
  • Attendance: 1,654
  • Starting Pitcher: Matt Imhof
  • Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Hunter Wood
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 2,922
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,207
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,654
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,719
  • Promotions (if any): Taps and Tacos

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 5
  • Attendance: 2,361
  • Starting Pitcher: Chance Adams
  • Opponent: Bradenton Marauders
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Colton Brewer
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,323
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,188
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,361
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,324
  • Promotions (if any): Happy Hour Thursday

No other local games scheduled.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Best Places to Eat and Drink Near Tropicana Field



Before the season started, Eno Sarris of The Hardball Times tweeted out a question to fellow baseball writers. He wanted to know the best places to eat and drink near and in every stadium in Major League Baseball. Always open to spreading the word, I eagerly volunteered.

Between Jessica Quiroli of Heels on the Field, Erik Hahmann of DRaysBay, Zack Meisel, Tim Britton, and myself, Sarris received 16 different places to partake around the Trop and a good heads-up of the best fares inside the Trop. Sarris then plotted our suggestions on The Hardball Times Major League Food Map, an interactive map where users can not only plot but also zoom in to find the exact location of the establishment.

It is an awesome project and highly recommended.

Among my suggestions:
  • Ferg's
  • La Terasita
  • The Columbia
  • Jerk Hut
Jessica Quiroli's suggestions:
  • Front Porch Grill
  • Mikey's Cafe and Bakery

Erik Hahmann's suggestions:
  • El Cap Restaurant
  • Coney Island Sandwich Shop
  • Engine No9
  • Taco Bus
  • Urban Brew and BBQ
  • Bodega on Central
  • Red Mesa Mercado

Tim Britton's suggestions:
  • Applebee's
  • Crowley's Downtown

Zack Meisel's suggestion:
  • Carrollwood Cafe and Deli

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 13, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, April 13, 2016:

Total Attendance: 12,678

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 6
  • Attendance: 10,117
  • Starting Pitcher: Drew Smyly
  • Opponent: Cleveland Indians
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Carlos Carrasco
  • Avg Attendance to Date:15,595
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,200
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,187
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 12,616
  • Promotions (if any): $2 hot dog Wednesday
  • Other events: Tampa Bay Lightning Playoff game (Amalie Arena) attendance: 19,092

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 4
  • Attendance: 1,777
  • Starting Pitcher: Tom Eschelman
  • Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Hunter Wood
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,239
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,391
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,777
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,777
  • Promotions (if any): Senior Day

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 4
  • Attendance: 784
  • Starting Pitcher: Ian Clarkin
  • Opponent: Bradenton Marauders
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Brandon Waddell
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,064
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 798
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 784
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,324
  • Promotions (if any): Kids Eat Free Wednesday

No other local games scheduled.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 12, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, April 12, 2016:

Total Attendance: 15,611

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 5
  • Attendance: 10,283
  • Starting Pitcher: Matt Moore
  • Opponent: Cleveland Indians
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Corey Kluber
  • Avg Attendance to Date:16,691
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,283
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,520
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 12,270
  • Promotions (if any): $2 Kids Ticket Tuesday
  • Other events: None

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 3
  • Attendance: 3,923
  • Starting Pitcher: Will Morris
  • Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Brett Honeywell
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,726
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,698
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,923
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,923
  • Promotions (if any): $1 Tuesdays

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 3
  • Attendance: 820
  • Starting Pitcher: Vincente Campos
  • Opponent: Bradenton Marauders
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Alex McRae
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,158
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 805
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 820
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 820
  • Promotions (if any): 2 for 1 Tuesday

University of South Florida Bulls:
  • Team Home Game #: 24
  • Attendance: 585
  • Opponent: University of North Florida
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 715

No other local games scheduled.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Tampa extends Yankees Spring Training through 2046, continues divided market



On March 26, the Tampa Tribune posted what I called a "very puzzling editorial". The editorial board of the Tribune praised the presence of the Yankees in Tampa and called Steinbrenner Field an "economic boon" for the area. The editorial used an uncited mysterious study that claimed,
the total direct expenses by attendees at Yankees’ spring training games in 2015 was $95.5 million, with most of that coming from out-of-state visitors who stayed overnight in the region.

The study estimated the overall economic impact at $162 million.
At the time, I wondered what the point of the editorial was. There was no one doubting Steinbrenner Field specifically, although Field of Schemes posted about an economic study that claimed Spring Training games don't produce any economic benefit.

Now we know.

On Monday, the Tampa Sports Authority announced a $40 million renovation for Steinbrenner Field. Along with the renovation was an agreement extending Yankees Spring Training in Tampa 20 additional years to 2046. The Yankees present agreement with the TSA wasn't due to expire until 2026.

Did the Tampa Tribune know about the negotiations? Maybe this mysterious study was used in the negotiations. Maybe the Tampa Tribune was attempting to soften public perception against spending more on the Yankees.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the TSA agreement with the Yankees will require approvals by several government bodies and the TSA Board of Directors. If approved, the state will pay $13 million, the Yankees will pay $13 million, and the Tourist Development tax will pay the final $13 million.

According to quotes from County Commission Ken Hagan - who Shadow of the Stadium has cited for flip-flopping on stadium funding, taxes, and generally not understanding economics - the Yankees routinely sell out and attract Yankees fans from around the country.
The team routinely sells out the 10,000-seat Steinbrenner Field and brings to the area Yankees fans from across the country, he said.

That is the nearly exact words used by the Tampa Tribune on March 26.
The spring games routinely sell out and attract Northern visitors who come specifically to see their favorite team.
And as I wrote two weeks ago, it is wrong.

What is routinely? This season, the Yankees have sold out four of 14 games. That’s 29%. While more than the Rays, it is far less than the Lightning. Additionally, the Yankees four sell-outs have been against the following teams:
  • Mets – attracting additional Tampa area NYers
  • Phillies – attracting tourists staying in Clearwater
  • Blue Jays – attracting tourists staying in Dunedin
  • Rays – attracting locals who root for the local Major League team
Steinbrenner Field does not routinely sell-out due to Yankees fans. While it routinely averages over 10,000 fans per game, sell-outs happen mostly because of the additional fanbases of other local teams.

Maybe Commissioner Hagan should read my blog instead of Tampa Tribune editorials.

Here are facts the TSA board of directors, Hillsborough County Commission, the Tampa City Council, and the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority need to consider:

According to Forbes, the Yankees are valued at over $3.5 billion. That is greater than five times more valuable than the Rays, who are valued at $650 billion. Since Steinbrenner Field opened, nearly $45 million in public funds has gone towards the Yankees Spring Training home, with another $26 million scheduled if approved. That's nearly $70 million given to the Yankees, or as much as they will pay C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and Masahiro Tanaka in 2016.

The Yankees don't need state or local money to renovate Steinbrenner Field.

The New York Yankees average 15 Spring Training games per year. According to a 2009 Spring Training Economic Impact study, (the same study cited by the Tampa Tribune, by the way) only 13% of Yankees spring attendance comes from out-of-state attendees, 41% are non-county attendees, and 46% are in-county attendees.

According to my 2014 post on Florida fan demographics, there are 1.2 million Yankees fans in Florida. A rough estimate says there are 261,000 Yankees fans in the Tampa Bay area.

2.9 million population x 50% baseball fans x 18% Yankees fans = 261,000

Since 2005, the Yankees average total Spring attendance is 158,000. With so many Yankees fans in the state and local, I highly doubt the Yankees are drawing a majority of tourists. The numbers just don't add up.

Meanwhile, nothing in either the Tampa Tribune nor the Tampa Bay Times mentions the blatant hypocrisy of the Tampa Sports Authority. By negotiating with the Yankees, they are again being disingenuous to the Tampa Bay Rays, the region's Major League team. Both Commissioner Hagan and TSA President Eric Hart are on the committee to help identify possible Hillsborough County areas for a new Rays stadium.

It is absolutely flabbergasting that Hagan and Hart can discuss a new Rays stadium one month and the next month extend the Yankees in the same city. It is dishonest, disingenuous, and sends a horrible mixed message to the Rays organization and their fanbase.

If Tampa is a "Major League city", as it claims to be, let it be a Major League city. Provide the Rays the ability to succeed in the market. Extending the Yankees continues the obstacles the Rays have always faced in the Tampa Bay baseball market.

If I was the Rays, I would go on the offensive. I would question Hagan and Hart's intent at their next meeting. I would ask them to defend their actions. I would ask what other city openly fosters a divided local fanbase and reduces incentive to attend the events of the local Major League team.

Then I would say Montreal wouldn't do that, and watch their reaction.

There was one other interesting point in the Tampa Bay Times article:
If the Yankees back out of the agreement at any time, they would have to pay the TSA $500,000 annually until 2046 as well as any balance on the bond payments.
What if the Yankees opt to leave because the Rays move within the Yankees territory? There are many locations in Pinellas County where the Rays would be within 15 miles of Steinbrenner Field. If the Rays force out the Tampa Yankees, would the New York Yankees look for a new location? If the Yankees do move, as they did from Fort Lauderdale when the Marlins started in 1992, would the Rays have to pay the TSA as part of their compensation to the Yankees for moving costs? The Rays would already have to pay the Tampa Yankees for lost revenue.

One final point to consider: could Major League Baseball step in and prevent the TSA agreement with the Yankees? MLB nixed a discussion between Pinellas County and the Atlanta Braves over a new training location for the Braves at Toytown.

At that time, Major League Baseball stated:
“Major League Baseball is committed to working with the Rays to secure a new ballpark in cooperation with the Tampa Bay region,” the statement said. “This can only happen with the support of local political and business leaders.”
This situation is no different. Once again, local politicians and the Tampa Sports Authority aren't doing what is best for the Rays in the region.

No wonder Stu Sternberg has lost confidence.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 11, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, April 11, 2016:

Total Attendance: 2,263

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 2
  • Attendance: 1,473
  • Starting Pitcher: Tyler Viza
  • Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chris Pike
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,628
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,473
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,473
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,473
  • Promotions (if any): Feeding Frenzy Monday
  • Other events: Pearl Jam concert (Amalie Arena)

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 2
  • Attendance: 790
  • Starting Pitcher: James Kaprielian
  • Opponent: Bradenton Marauders
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Austin Coley
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,327
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 790
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 790
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 790
  • Promotions (if any): 1/2 Price Monday

No other local games scheduled.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 10, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, April 10, 2016:

Total Attendance: 1,561

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 2
  • Attendance: 745
  • Starting Pitcher: Yuedy Garcia
  • Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Keaton Steele
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 3,334
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,334
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 745
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 745
  • Promotions (if any): None
  • Other events: Tampa Bay Blues Festival

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 3
  • Attendance: 816
  • Starting Pitcher: Justin Shafer
  • Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Elniery Garcia
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,076
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,076
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 816
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 816
  • Promotions (if any): None

University of South Florida Bulls
  • Team Home Game #: 23
  • Attendance: 548
  • Opponent: Memphis
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 721

No other local games scheduled.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 9, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, April 9, 2016:

Total Attendance: 6,957

Bradenton Marauders:
  • Team Home Game #: 1
  • Attendance: 5,923
  • Starting Pitcher: Colten Brewer
  • Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Jay
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 5,923
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 5,923
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 5,923
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 5,923
  • Promotions (if any): Opening Day
  • Other events: Tampa Bay Blues Festival

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 2
  • Attendance: 1,034
  • Starting Pitcher: Ryan Borucki
  • Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Rani Casimiro
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,207
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,207
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,034
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,034
  • Promotions (if any): Mascot Night

University of South Florida Bulls
  • Team Home Game #: 22
  • Attendance: 707
  • Opponent: Memphis
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 729

No other local games scheduled.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 8, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, April 8, 2016:

Total Attendance: 7,647

Clearwater Threshers:
  • Team Home Game #: 1
  • Attendance: 5,783
  • Starting Pitcher: Matt Imhof
  • Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tom Robson
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 5,783
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 5,783
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 5,783
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 5,783
  • Promotions (if any): Opening Day - Fireworks - Post Game Concert
  • Other events: Tampa Bay Blues Festival

Tampa Yankees:
  • Team Home Game #: 1
  • Attendance: 1,864
  • Starting Pitcher: Ian Clarkin
  • Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Alexander
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,864
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,864
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,864
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,864
  • Promotions (if any): Opening Day

University of South Florida Bulls:
  • Team Home Game #: 21
  • Attendance: 573
  • Opponent: Memphis
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 730

No other local games scheduled.

Friday, April 8, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33594

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 33594:




The red outline is zip code 33594. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 32,677
  • Median Income: $61,411
  • Average Age: 38.5
  • White: 25,323 (77.5%)
  • Black: 3,569 (10.9%)
  • Hispanic: 6,420 (19.6%)
  • Rays fans: 8,823 (54% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 3,104 (19% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 654 (4% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 5.8 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 20.8 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 34.7 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 40.2 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 44.8 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 30.6 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 15.8 miles

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 7, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, April 7, 2016:

Total Attendance: 1,379

Dunedin Blue Jays:
  • Team Home Game #: 1
  • Attendance: 1,379
  • Starting Pitcher: Conner Greene
  • Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tom Eshelman
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 1,379
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,379
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,379
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,379
  • Promotions (if any): Opening Day
  • Other events: None

No other local games scheduled.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Stu Sternberg talks about Tampa Bay baseball market



Prior to the first pitch on Opening Day, several members of the news media caught up with Rays owner Stu Sternberg and asked him about the market and the team.

Sternberg starts his comments by discussing corporate support. The Rays are making a big deal of corporate support this year. According to certain reports, it has either gone down or not gone up since 2010. That's not good. As I wrote a few weeks ago, the incentive might not be there, especially with all the other sports in the area. Why work with the team located on the fringes of the region when you can work with the Bucs, Lightning, Storm, Yankees, Threshers, or Rowdies?

I do find Sternberg's comments a bit hypocritical. He wants businesses to invest in his business. However, he doesn't live in Tampa Bay and may still be an owner of Mets season tickets. So as I have asked before, if Tampa Bay is not good enough for Stu Sternberg, why should the Rays be good enough for Tampa Bay businesses?

I'm not expecting Stu Sternberg to be Jeff Vinik, but compare Sternberg asking for support with Vinik on CNBC a few months ago:
Vinik: "This area is an undiscovered gem. The quality of life here is fantastic. The weather is good. The beaches are good. The people are friendly. Traffic is acceptable. Water. It has all you want. It is like a value stock. It really hasn't been discovered. Right now, business is really starting to take off in the area. I think we are in the beginning of a bull market in Tampa that will last for many years to come."

Years ago, I wrote a blog post to Sternberg with the old adage "you get more bees with honey than vinegar". Perhaps instead of saying how corporations don't see the value in the Rays, he could have said:

"Well, our local economy is on the rise and we have some great growing businesses in the area. We look forward to engaging them to see if they want to be partners with the Tampa Bay Rays."

Stu Sternberg has never been a master of public relations.

In another cringe-worthy moment, Sternberg then is asked about the feelings of other owners about the Tampa Bay baseball market. He claims other owners think Major League Baseball won't work in the area. Sternberg's defense is to put the burden on the shoulders of the fans and their travel times to the ballpark.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

First of all, if Tampa Bay is such a horrible market for baseball, then why do four teams spring train here? Why is it ok for the Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, and Pirates to train and have Minor League affiliates in the region if it is not a good area for baseball?

Second, how many fans actually do travel 2, 5, 10, 12 hours for a game? During the week, probably very few. Sternberg cites the Cardinals, Royals, and Pirates as teams that draw well.

There are so many differences between the established fanbases in those cities and the nascent fanbase in Tampa Bay. First and foremost is the amount of fans living near the stadiums. Each of the teams Sternberg mentions have more than double the amount of fans living within 30 minutes of their stadium than live near Tropicana Field.
  • Cardinals: 1.59 million
  • Royals: 1.25 million
  • Pirates: 1.18 million
  • Rays: 675,000

Also, Pittsburgh has not always been a model for attendance. As I wrote in December:
Prior to the team improvement, the Pirates finished last or second to last in the NL in attendance every year from 2004 to 2012. Going back even further, in the 1980s there were several rumors of relocation, despite the fact that the Pirates had been in Pittsburgh since the 1880s.

Then the Pirates got a shiny new downtown ballpark and a winning team and all is well.

Claiming fan travel "is what we are trying to figure out" means there is something wrong with the behavior of the fans. I would hypothesize that Tampa Bay fans travel the same distances to games as other cities (removing outlying tourists to St Louis, NY, Chicago, and Boston where baseball parks are an attraction). What the Rays are lacking is the size of the local fanbase. If the Rays have a million fans, and 1% travel an hour to a game, that's 1,000 fans. If the Cardinals have 5 millions fans, and 1% travel an hour to a game, that's 5,000 fans. Travel time is irrelevant if you have enough fans.

It would be wonderful if one day the owner of the Rays talked about how great the team's fans are, how great the area is, and how positivity will win the day. Instead we again hear how frustrated he is and how he is less optimistic in the team than previous years.

Joy.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 6, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, April 6, 2016:

Total Attendance: 14,257

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 4
  • Attendance: 14,257
  • Starting Pitcher: Matt Moore
  • Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: JA Happ
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 18,293
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 18,293
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 14,257
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 14,257
  • Promotions (if any): $2 Hot Dog Wednesday
  • Other events: None

No other local games scheduled.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

MLB Commissioner again supports Tampa Bay baseball market

Before the first pitch on Sunday's Opening Day, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred discussed his support of the Tampa Bay baseball market. Commissioner Manfred stated his support to the area and to the Rays ownership group, while citing the Rays positive TV ratings and emphasizing the idea that Tropicana Field is in a bad location.




Manfred also said his role is to support when needed. On a personal note, this reminded me of an interview I did with the President of Minor League Baseball a few years ago. Pres Pat O'Conner told me his role was to ask teams "What do you need and how can I help?". It was to use the muscle of Minor League Baseball Headquarters to facilitate. That is what Rob Manfred says his job is as well.

Of course, this does not include funds from MLB to pay for a new stadium, which might help especially considering MLB is highly profitable and funding for new ballpark would probably come from taxpayers' wallets.

My one critique: Manfred said Stu Sternberg knows the local politics of Tampa Bay better than Manfred because Sternberg is "there everyday". While Brian Auld and other Rays front office folks are in the area, Stu Sternberg is not in Tampa Bay every day. As a matter of fact, he is routinely closer to Commissioner Manfred in New York than his team in St. Petersburg.

Since becoming commissioner, Rob Manfred has talked highly of the Tampa Bay baseball market several times, and has done several actions to help the Rays, to include picking the team to go to Cuba and nixing the Braves idea of spring training in the Rays' backyard.

What he has never mentioned however, is how Tampa Bay is host to more professional baseball games than any other area in the nation. He also never mentions how Spring Training is successful in Tampa Bay, how four minor league teams call the area home, and how combined, baseball in Tampa Bay has had a total attendance over two million 10 years in a row.

That would be nice to hear.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - April 5, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, April 5, 2016:

Total Attendance: 12,757

Tampa Bay Rays:
  • Team Home Game #: 3
  • Attendance: 12,757
  • Starting Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi
  • Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays
  • Opponent Starting Pitcher: Aaron Sanchez
  • Avg Attendance to Date: 19,638
  • Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 19,638
  • Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,757
  • Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 12,757
  • Promotions (if any): $2 Kids Tickets Tuesday
  • Other events: None

No other local games scheduled.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Could Rays and Marlins play a Central Florida spring exhibition in 2017?



The last week of Spring Training is usually when teams play atypical exhibition games. This year, for example, besides Rays traveling south to Havana to take on the Cuban National Team, the Mets played the Cubs in Las Vegas, the Pirates played the Reds in Indianapolis, and the Red Sox played the Blue Jays in Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

Starting in 2017, the Marlins and Rays should follow the footsteps of these teams and play post-spring training pre-season exhibitions at various empty ballparks throughout Florida.

Next season, both the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros are moving their Spring Training to West Palm Beach. This will leave both Osceola County Stadium and Space Coast Stadium barren of professional baseball during the spring. Both of these stadiums are in the highly coveted Central Florida market, a market both the Marlins and Rays would love to win, but is currently dominated by Yankees and Red Sox fans. Playing an all Florida exhibition in either Kissimmee or Viera would help promote the Florida teams to those areas.

Another option might be to play in Daytona's Jackie Robinson Ballpark. While home to the Daytona Tortugas, Daytona is not home to a Spring Training team. The Rays and Marlins could easily make a trip to the northern reaches of their region for a local exhibition.

(And when asked, the Daytona Tortuga's twitter account thought this was a good idea.)

An even better location for a Citrus Series exhibition may open up in 2018 if the Atlanta Braves move from their Disney World complex to somewhere else in Florida. This would leave Disney's Wide World of Sports without baseball. It would also be as close to the Orlando market as the Rays and Marlins would ever play.

Currently, the Yankees control approximately 30% of the baseball fanbase in the Orlando area. Baseball fans in Orlando are however watching the Rays broadcasts in record numbers. How better to win their loyalty then to bring baseball to them before the season begins?

Of course, a Rays exhibition at Disney World is not without precedent. The Rays played six regular season games at Disney World - three in 2007 and three in 2008. These games were intended to expand the Rays fanbase to the Central Florida market.

In 2008, Rays then-President Matt Silverman stated "we provided fans in the Orlando area a first-hand look at the Rays. We are committed to extending the Rays deep into Central Florida and growing interest in our exciting, young team throughout the state."

The Rays haven't done much of that in the last eight years. As teams vacate their Spring Training locales, it might be time to give the Marlins a call and extend an exhibition into Central Florida again.

(This assumes the Rays stay in their Port Charlotte Spring Training location and not move to Disney World after the Braves leave as the folks at DRaysBay suggest. The odds of a move are low, as the Rays have a deal with Port Charlotte until 2029.)