Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, May 30, 2016:
Total Attendance: 0
No local games played.
Total Attendance: 0
No local games played.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 29, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, May 29, 2016:
Total Attendance: 20,348
Tampa Bay Rays:
Bradenton Marauders:
No other local games played.
Total Attendance: 20,348
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 26
- Attendance: 19,748
- Starting Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi
- Opponent: New York Yankees
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Nathan Eovaldi
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,702
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 18,211
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 23,872
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 17,020
- Promotions (if any): Velcro Toss and Catch Set
- Other local events: Tampa Bay Storm arena football @ Amalie Arena: attendance: 8,298
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 24
- Attendance: 600
- Starting Pitcher: Justin Masterson
- Opponent: St Lucie Mets
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Scarlyn Reyes
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,652
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,847
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 800
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 600
- Promotions (if any): Family Fun Sunday
No other local games played.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 28, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, May 28, 2016:
Total Attendance: 23,425
Tampa Bay Rays:
Bradenton Marauders:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games played.
Total Attendance: 23,425
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 25
- Attendance: 20,188
- Starting Pitcher: Matt Moore
- Opponent: New York Yankees
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Michael Pineda
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,580
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 17,442
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 23,436
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 16,007
- Promotions (if any): Giveaway backpack
- Other local events:
- Margarita Fest @ Curtis Hixon Park
- Sunset Music Fest @ Raymond James Stadium
- 97X Backyard BBQ
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 23
- Attendance: 2,356
- Starting Pitcher: Austin Coley
- Opponent: St Lucie Mets
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Ricky Knapp
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,700
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,159
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,682
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,070
- Promotions (if any): Friends and Family Night
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 29
- Attendance: 881
- Starting Pitcher: Kyle Westwood
- Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tejay Antone
- Avg Attendance to Date: 747
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 679
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 935
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 698
- Promotions (if any): Superhero Night
No other local games played.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 34207
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 34207:
The red outline is zip code 34207. The red dot is Tropicana Field.
Demographic breakdown:
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 34207:
The red outline is zip code 34207. The red dot is Tropicana Field.
Demographic breakdown:
- Estimated Population: 29,728
- Median Income: $35,050
- Average Age: 45.3
- White: 23,811 (80.1%)
- Black: 2,371 (8.0%)
- Hispanic: 5,639 (19%)
- Rays fans: 6,837 (46% of baseball fans)
- Yankees fans: 1,784 (12% of baseball fans)
- Red Sox fans: 1,338 (9% of baseball fans)
- Distance to Tropicana Field: 29.2 miles
- Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 48.8 miles
- Distance to Bright House Field: 45.7 miles
- Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 51.3 miles
- Distance to McKechnie Field: 3.6 miles
- Distance to Toytown: 36.1 miles
- Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 49.4 miles
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 27, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, May 27, 2016:
Total Attendance: 20,492
Tampa Bay Rays:
Bradenton Marauders:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
University of South Florida Bulls:
No other local games played.
Total Attendance: 20,492
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 24
- Attendance: 14,697
- Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer
- Opponent: New York Yankees
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Masahiro Tanaka
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,430
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 14,697
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 14,945
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 16,879
- Promotions (if any): $15 Student tickets
- Other local events: R. Kelly Concert @ Amalie Arena
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 21 / 22
- Attendance: 5,253
- Starting Pitcher: Colten Brewer / Jose Regalado
- Opponent: St Lucie Mets
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Corey Oswalt / Kevin McGowan
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,669
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,094
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,736
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,144 / 5,253
- Promotions (if any): Fan Appreciation Night
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 28
- Attendance: 542
- Starting Pitcher: Francisco Rios
- Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Seth Varner
- Avg Attendance to Date: 742
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 639
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 581
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,334
- Promotions (if any): Buy one, Get one Margaritas
University of South Florida Bulls:
- Playoff Game @ Bright House Field
- Attendance: 644
- Opponent: Memphis Tigers
No other local games played.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33713
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 33713:
The red outline is zip code 33713. The purple dot is Tropicana Field.
Demographic breakdown:
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 33713:
The red outline is zip code 33713. The purple dot is Tropicana Field.
Demographic breakdown:
- Estimated Population: 29,812
- Median Income: $45,960
- Average Age: 40.6
- White: 22,227 (74.6%)
- Black: 3,440 (11.5%)
- Hispanic: 2,913 (9.8%)
- Rays fans: 8,795 (59% of baseball fans)
- Yankees fans: 1,342 (9% of baseball fans)
- Red Sox fans: 894 (6% of baseball fans)
- Distance to Tropicana Field: 2.9 miles
- Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 20.8 miles
- Distance to Bright House Field: 13.9 miles
- Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 19.5 miles
- Distance to McKechnie Field: 25.7 miles
- Distance to Toytown: 7.7 miles
- Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 22.4 miles
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 26, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, May 26, 2016:
Total Attendance: 11,950
Tampa Bay Rays:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games played.
Total Attendance: 11,950
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 23
- Attendance: 11,399
- Starting Pitcher: Drew Smyly
- Opponent: Miami Marlins
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jose Fernandez
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,506
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 12,476
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,057
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 12,707
- Promotions (if any): $15 Senior Thursday
- Other local events: None
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 27
- Attendance: 551
- Starting Pitcher: Chris Rowley
- Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher:Endrys Briceno
- Avg Attendance to Date: 749
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 515
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 857
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 505
- Promotions (if any): None
No other local games played.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 34683
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 34683:
The red outline is zip code 34683. The red dot is Tropicana Field.
Demographic breakdown:
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 34683:
The red outline is zip code 34683. The red dot is Tropicana Field.
Demographic breakdown:
- Estimated Population: 31,268
- Median Income: $62,412
- Average Age: 47.4
- White: 29,375 (93.9%)
- Black: 477 (1.5%)
- Hispanic: 1,725 (5.5%)
- Rays fans: 7,504 (48% of baseball fans)
- Yankees fans: 2,501 (16% of baseball fans)
- Red Sox fans: 1,094 (7% of baseball fans)
- Distance to Tropicana Field: 27.9 miles
- Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 20.0 miles
- Distance to Bright House Field: 10.9 miles
- Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 7.4 miles
- Distance to McKechnie Field: 52.2 miles
- Distance to Toytown: 21.1 miles
- Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 25.5 miles
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 25, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, May 25, 2016:
Total Attendance: 14,050
Tampa Bay Rays:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games played.
Total Attendance: 14,050
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 22
- Attendance: 13,554
- Starting Pitcher: Matt Andriese
- Opponent: Miami Marlins
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Justin Nicolini
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,738
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 13,554
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,600
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 20,856
- Promotions (if any): $2 Hot Dog Wednesdays
- Other local events: None
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 26
- Attendance: 496
- Starting Pitcher: Conner Greene
- Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jeff Thompson
- Avg Attendance to Date: 757
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 498
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 516
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 749
- Promotions (if any): None
No other local games played.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 24, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, May 24, 2016:
Total Attendance: 500
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games played.
Total Attendance: 500
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 25
- Attendance: 500
- Starting Pitcher: Justin Shafer
- Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: AJ Ladwig
- Avg Attendance to Date: 768
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 500
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,112
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 727
- Promotions (if any): None
- Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Playoff game (Amalie Arena): Attendance: 19,204
No other local games played.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 23, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, May 23, 2016:
Total Attendance: 2,196
Bradenton Marauders:
Clearwater Threshers:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 2,196
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 20
- Attendance: 538
- Starting Pitcher: Austin Coley
- Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kyle Westwood
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,489
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,912
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 570
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 813
- Promotions (if any): None
- Other local events: None
Clearwater Threshers:
- Team Home Game #: 23
- Attendance: 1,658
- Starting Pitcher: Matt Imhof
- Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jacob Evans
- Avg Attendance to Date: 3,017
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,897
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,566
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,522
- Promotions (if any): Feeding Frenzy Monday
No other local games scheduled.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Could a Rays-less Tampa Bay be the Spring Training Capital of the World?
Last week, I wrote a piece for SaintPetersBlog.com in which I discussed how local Tampa Bay politicians have made the Rays second fiddle by focusing too much of their time, money, and interest into Spring Training and Minor League Baseball.
My conclusion was that in order for the Rays to truly be successful in Tampa Bay, they need a monopoly of interest, by both fans and politicians. Otherwise, they are hindered by obstacles no other team with their market size faces.
Today, however, I want to postulate the opposite.
What if Tampa Bay politicians stopped saying Tampa Bay is a Major League region? What if they all opted to divide the region into Spring Training and Minor League territories and didn't bother kowtowing to the interests of the Tampa Bay Rays?
What if they said Major League Baseball isn't worth the trouble?
If local politicians told the Rays and Major League Baseball they are not interested in supporting Major League Baseball at the regional level and would rather support several Minor League and Spring Training teams, the Rays could move on to more profitable pastures.
For the sake of this post, it doesn't matter where they go: Montreal, Portland, Orlando, or Buford, Wyoming.
If Pinellas and Hillsborough County both told the Rays they are not interested in building a new Major League stadium, Pinellas can then reinterest the Atlanta Braves in the Toytown region. After the Braves new complex is complete, Pinellas County could then receive tourist income from Braves Spring Training fans. Even if the Braves bring in half of what the Yankees claim to bring to Tampa, $81 million dollars would go to Pinellas County, which would easily exceed what the City of St. Petersburg makes on the Rays Use Agreement for Tropicana Field.
Speaking of Tropicana Field, once the Rays are gone, the Trop site would need to be redeveloped. The City of St. Petersburg could building a new Spring Training complex on the Tropicana Field site. Both a Toytown spring training complex and one on the Tropicana Field site would still be cheaper than building a new Major League ballpark.
Perhaps the Cardinals, whose Spring Training lease in West Palm Beach expires in 2027, would consider returning to St. Petersburg. Or perhaps St. Pete can woo a team from Arizona back to Florida.
If that team can also bring in half of what the Yankees claim to bring into Hillsborough County, Pinellas County and St. Petersburg would receive millions more in tourist income.
If Dunedin keeps the Blue Jays and gives them a new complex with a renovated stadium next season, and the Braves and Cardinals move to Pinellas County, there would be six teams training in Tampa Bay. Eight teams if you include the Tigers in Lakeland and the Orioles in Sarasota.
- Blue Jays (Pinellas)
- Phillies (Pinellas)
- Cardinals (Pinellas)
- Braves (Pinellas)
- Pirates (Manatee)
- Yankees (Hillsborough)
- Orioles (Sarasota)
- Tigers (Polk)
That's eight teams bringing in tourist income. If the average spring training stadium held 8,000 fans and each team played 15 Spring Training games, then 960,000 possible fans could see baseball. That's only 300,000 less than the Rays drew in 2015. And since most of the Rays attendance is local, they are not spending as much on nearby restaurants, bars, and hotels as Spring Training tourists.
In addition, those local residents won't be disappearing. They will still be spending money on the local economy, just not as many on baseball. They will be spending their money on the movies, museums, and other entertainment.
If we estimate 50% of Spring Training attendance is tourists and 50% are local, then approximately 480,000 Spring Training tickets will be bought by tourists. Maybe the average tourist attends three games. Even though they are taking only one room, they are staying three nights in a hotel, buying at least three meals in the local economy, and buying three tickets.
- Estimated Room Cost: $150 a night
- Estimated Meal Cost: $25 a meal
- Estimated Ticket Cost: $20 a ticket
Total cost x3: $585 per fan per trip
With eight teams from Lakeland to Sarasota and throughout the Tampa Bay area, Tampa Bay could call itself the "Spring Training Capital of the World". Tourist industries would grow around that label as marketing people could create deals and packages that move fans from park to park and game to game.
Gone would be worrying about the Rays, their attendance, or even their wins and losses. Tampa Bay politicians and local businesses would be rooting for the eight regional Spring Training teams to have good regular seasons so their fans would be more likely to visit the following spring.
Tampa Bay would no longer attempt to be its own Major League region. It would become a service economy for other Major League teams' fans. Tampa Bay would cater to those fans, embrace those fans, and willingly take those fans' money. Then, after Spring Training, local fans can get their baseball fix by attending one of eight conveniently located Minor League stadiums.
All the Tampa Bay region would have to sacrifice is a Major League team habitually last in attendance.
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 22, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, May 22, 2016:
Total Attendance: 2,572
Bradenton Marauders:
Clearwater Threshers:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 2,572
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 19
- Attendance: 953
- Starting Pitcher: Trevor Williams
- Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Francisco Rios
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,539
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,370
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 867
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 953
- Promotions (if any): Family Fun Sundays
- Other local events: None
Clearwater Threshers:
- Team Home Game #: 22
- Attendance: 1,619
- Starting Pitcher: Tom Eschelman
- Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Blake McKnight
- Avg Attendance to Date: 3,082
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,310
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,525
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,533
- Promotions (if any): Brunch at the Park
No other local games scheduled.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 21, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, May 21, 2016:
Total Attendance: 8,442
Bradenton Marauders:
Clearwater Threshers:
University of South Florida Bulls:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 8,442
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 19
- Attendance: 2,616
- Starting Pitcher: Colten Brewery
- Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chris Rowley
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,572
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,079
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,764
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,485
- Promotions (if any): Superhero Night
- Other local events: None
Clearwater Threshers:
- Team Home Game #: 21
- Attendance: 5,237
- Starting Pitcher: Tyler Viza
- Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jack Flaherty
- Avg Attendance to Date: 3,155
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 4,155
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 5,611
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,403
- Promotions (if any): Fireworks / Pre-Game Concert: Greg Billings
University of South Florida Bulls:
- Team Home Game #: 35
- Attendance: 589
- Opponent: UConn
- Avg Attendance to Date: 761
No other local games scheduled.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 20, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, May 20, 2016:
Total Attendance: 7,534
Bradenton Marauders:
Clearwater Threshers:
University of South Florida Bulls:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 7,534
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 17
- Attendance: 3,542
- Starting Pitcher: Stephen Tarpley
- Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Conner Greene
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,511
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,542
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,231
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,542
- Promotions (if any): Faith and Family Night - Concert: Peter Furler and His Band
- Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Playoff Game @ Amalie Arena (Attendance: 19,042)
Clearwater Threshers:
- Team Home Game #: 20
- Attendance: 3,073
- Starting Pitcher: Elniery Garcia
- Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Austin Gomber
- Avg Attendance to Date: 3,045
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,073
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 4,094
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,227
- Promotions (if any): Free Shirt Friday / Post game concert: The Afters
University of South Florida Bulls:
- Team Home Game #: 34
- Attendance: 919
- Opponent: UConn
- Avg Attendance to Date: 766
No other local games scheduled.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 19, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, May 19, 2016:
Total Attendance: 2,435
Dunedin Blue Jays:
Tampa Yankees:
University of South Florida Bulls:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 2,435
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 24
- Attendance: 1,093
- Starting Pitcher: Justin Shafer
- Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Felix Jorge
- Avg Attendance to Date: 780
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,044
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 934
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 785
- Promotions (if any): Wing Night / Thirsty Thursday
- Other local events: None
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 26
- Attendance: 886
- Starting Pitcher: Chance Adams
- Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jeff Brigham
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,456
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 783
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,830
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,410
- Promotions (if any): Happy Hour Thursday
University of South Florida Bulls:
- Team Home Game #: 33
- Attendance: 456
- Opponent: UConn
- Avg Attendance to Date: 762
No other local games scheduled.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 18, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, May 18, 2016:
Total Attendance: 1,233
Dunedin Blue Jays:
Tampa Yankees:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 1,233
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 23
- Attendance: 479
- Starting Pitcher: Kyle Westwood
- Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Keaton Steele
- Avg Attendance to Date: 766
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,028
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 523
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 613
- Promotions (if any): None
- Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Playoff @ Amalie Arena (Attendance: 19,042)
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 24 / 25
- Attendance: 754
- Starting Pitcher: Ian Clarkin / James Reeves
- Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Edwin Jackson / Michael Mader
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,481
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 732
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 737
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,645 / 754
- Promotions (if any): Kids Eat Free Wednesday
No other local games scheduled.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Interviewed yet again by Bluebird Banter
For the third season in a row, I had the opportunity to answer some questions from Blue Jays blog Bluebird Banter. Tom Dakers of Bluebird Banter likes interviewing writers from other cities when the Jays play those teams. It is a really cool idea and a good way to expose his readers to new voices.
I definitely appreciate the chance to introduce myself to the Blue Jays blogosphere again. I answered questions on Rays attendance, the stadium saga, the Rays long-term prospects, and the status of the Dunedin Blue Jays.
Check it out:
View from the other side: Rays questions for Michael Lortz of Tampa Bay Baseball Market - Bluebird Banter
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 17, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, May 17, 2016:
Total Attendance: 2,126
Dunedin Blue Jays:
Tampa Yankees:
University of South Florida Bulls:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 2,126
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 22
- Attendance: 2,126
- Starting Pitcher: Francisco Rios
- Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Jay
- Avg Attendance to Date: 779
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,302
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,419
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,126
- Promotions (if any): Education Day
- Other local events:
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 24
- Attendance: POSTPONED - Rain
- Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
University of South Florida Bulls:
- Team Home Game #: 33
- Attendance: POSTPONED - Rain
No other local games scheduled.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Guest Post on SaintPetersBlog.com
In my quest to promote my writing on as many venues as possible, I often inquire to other websites as to whether they would be interested in an opinion piece or two. The other day I messaged Peter Schorsch, Executive Editor of SaintPetersBlog.com, a Tampa Bay area political blog. When Peter said he would be interested, I sent him an opinion piece on the biggest political problem facing the Tampa Bay Rays.
In this piece, I discuss four local baseball interests that are occupying Tampa Bay area elected officials and distracting them from giving the Rays a monopoly of interest in the region.
Check it out:
Is Tampa Bay a Major League region or 4 minor league ones? - SaintPetersBlog.com
In this piece, I discuss four local baseball interests that are occupying Tampa Bay area elected officials and distracting them from giving the Rays a monopoly of interest in the region.
The biggest problem facing the long-term success of the Tampa Bay Rays is not building a fan base or getting fans to the ballpark. It’s the ambivalence toward the Rays by local politicians driven by the local impact of baseball alternatives. As long as there is an incentive (perceived or real) for Tampa and its suburbs to have their own baseball alternative to the Rays, local politicians will not want to give that up for the greater good of the region.
Check it out:
Is Tampa Bay a Major League region or 4 minor league ones? - SaintPetersBlog.com
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 16, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, May 16, 2016:
Total Attendance: 1,189
Tampa Yankees:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 1,189
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 23
- Attendance: 710
- Starting Pitcher: Vincente Campos
- Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Luis Castillo
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,514
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 710
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 765
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,459
- Promotions (if any): 1/2 Price Monday
- Other events: None
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 21
- Attendance: 479
- Starting Pitcher: Brad Allen
- Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kohl Stewart
- Avg Attendance to Date: 712
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 479
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 518
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 561
- Promotions (if any): None
No other local games scheduled.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 15, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, May 15, 2016:
Total Attendance: 21,952
Tampa Bay Rays:
Clearwater Threshers:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 21,952
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 21
- Attendance: 19,545
- Starting Pitcher: Matt Moore
- Opponent: Oakland A's
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Sonny Gray
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,889
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 20,789
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 24,903
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 15,310
- Promotions (if any): Plastic bat and ball giveaway
- Other events: None
Clearwater Threshers:
- Team Home Game #: 18 / 19
- Attendance: 1,661
- Starting Pitcher: Tyler Viza / Will Morris
- Opponent: Tampa Yankees
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Joey Maher / Will Carter
- Avg Attendance to Date: 3,044
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,517
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,493
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,781
- Promotions (if any): Brunch at the Park
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 20
- Attendance: 746
- Starting Pitcher: Conner Greene
- Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kodi Medeiros
- Avg Attendance to Date: 724
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 658
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 668
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 799
- Promotions (if any): Kids Free on Sunday
No other local games scheduled.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 14, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, May 14, 2016:
Total Attendance: 30,814
Tampa Bay Rays:
Tampa Yankees:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 30,814
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 20
- Attendance: 28,158
- Starting Pitcher: Matt Andriese
- Opponent: Oakland A's
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kendall Graveman
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,757
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 21,381
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 24,519
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 28,158
- Promotions (if any): Rays Fedora giveaway
- Other events: Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer @ Al Lang Field (Attendance: 6,702)
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 22
- Attendance: 1,886
- Starting Pitcher: Josh Rogers
- Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Elniery Garcia
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,553
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,339
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,220
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,199
- Promotions (if any): Bark in the Park/ Service Member Saturday
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 19
- Attendance: 770
- Starting Pitcher: Justin Shafer
- Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Brandon Woodruff
- Avg Attendance to Date: 723
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 614
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 949
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 682
- Promotions (if any): Bark in the Park / Food Truck Rally
No other local games scheduled.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Lightning fans #BoycottBradenton due to Spring Training ties
This website has often discussed the self-interest of local areas of Tampa Bay and how sometimes they clash with regional sports interests. This happens quite often as Tampa, Clearwater, Dunedin, and Bradenton all host Spring Training and attempt to increase local and tourism revenue. As I have said plenty of times, any local dollar spent on those teams is a dollar not spent on the Tampa Bay Rays.
Normally, I am a lone voice. But on Friday night, opposition to one community's local interest became a roar.
According to many tweets, the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau supplied local Pittsburgh Penguins fans with rally towels similar to those handed out in Pittsburgh. These towels stated "Let's Go Pens" and listed the names of Bradenton area communities. This marketing campaign did not sit well with regional Tampa Bay Lightning fans who started the hashtag #BoycottBradenton and flooded the Bradenton Facebook page with comments opposing the campaign.
In response, the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau issued a statement and tried to save face by wishing both the Lightning and the Penguins luck in their playoff games, adding ..
"Throughout the state of Florida, it is common for destination marketing organizations to have out-of-state partnerships through sports marketing initiatives, including major league teams."This is a sad example of trying to play both sides of the fence. This happens far too often in the Tampa Bay area, and the Bradenton Visitors Bureau got called out on it. This is no different than when Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn wears a Yankees jersey or the Tampa Sports Authority works out a deal with the Yankees while attempting to negotiate with the Rays.
The Bradenton Visitor Center's statement that
we have and will continue to support the Tampa Bay Lightning through our annual marketing initiatives and wish both teams the best of luck in the Eastern Conference Finals
sounds a lot like when I called out the Twitter account of Hillsborough County for their support of the Yankees.
@TBBaseballMkt Proud to support baseball in #TampaBay! Many teams call our area home in the spring. Summer's a different ballgame... #RaysUp
— ⚡️ #Boltsborough ⚡️ (@HillsboroughFL) June 20, 2015
Unfortunately for the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, they weren't campaigning against the Rays, but against the popular local hockey team. By doing so, they stepped in a big pile of conflicted local interest.
This marketing misstep revealed some interesting facts about the Bradenton Visitors Bureau. A quick google of Elliott Falcione, their executive director, reveals he used to be the Assistant Director of Operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He assumed his current position in June 2011. There is little doubt this move was to solidify the bond between the Pirates and the City of Bradenton. It is not coincidence the next year, Bradenton city officials approved renovations for McKechnie Field, spring home of the Pirates.
According to the Bradenton Herald,
As part of the deal, the Pittsburgh Pirates plan to increase the amount they spend on marketing from $150,000 to $400,000 annually. The money will be used to promote tourism in Manatee County.Perhaps this is where the money for the towels came from.
The close relationship between Bradenton and the Pirates was also evident when Falcione threw out the first pitch at PNC Park in Pittsburgh in August 2013 on "Bradenton Day". There is little doubt where Falcione's interests lie.
Despite these ties, the Pittsburgh area is only seventh among the origin of Bradenton tourists, behind Orlando, Tampa/St.Pete, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston.
Now we have to wonder about the fallout of #BoycottBradenton. Will it affect the Bradenton Marauders in any way? Could they lose sponsors? Could they lose attendance?
Currently, through Game 16 of their season, the Marauders are averaging 1,384 fans per game. This is already 553 fans per game lower than their 2015 per game average at the same point in the season.
To the Marauders advantage, they are on a road trip until May 20th, which is the date of Game 4 of the Lightning-Penguins series. It is possible the series could end that night and #BoycottBradenton might not have to time to gain momentum.
If #BoycottBradenton builds, however, it may be possible Lightning fans in the Bradenton area refuse to spend their dollars at McKechnie Field. If that happens, Marauders attendance could drop severely. Minor League attendance doesn't rely on tourists like Spring Training does.
Of course, the Bradenton Visitors Bureau will still have to the Pirates coming in February 2017 and if that is where they are focusing their marketing effort - on the 15 games and two months of Spring Training - then appealing to the Pittsburgh market is a smart move, even if it is counter to the rooting interests of the rest of the Tampa Bay region.
But we have to wonder what would happen if the skate was on the other foot. What if the Rays trained in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, would those municipalities root for the Lightning instead of the Penguins?
Probably not.
Only in Tampa Bay do we have this problem.
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 13, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, May 13, 2016:
Total Attendance: 16,038
Tampa Bay Rays:
Tampa Yankees:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 16,038
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 19
- Attendance: 14,604
- Starting Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi
- Opponent: Oakland A's
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Rich Hill
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,157
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 16,157
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 15,028
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 16,475
- Promotions (if any): $15 Student Tickets
- Other events: None
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 21
- Attendance: 2,152
- Starting Pitcher: Chance Adams
- Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Ranfi Casimiro
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,536
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,150
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,251
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,498
- Promotions (if any): Wing Deal Friday
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 17 / 18
- Attendance: 458
- Starting Pitcher: Kyle Westwood / Chris Rowley
- Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Bubba Derby / Angel Ventura
- Avg Attendance to Date: 720
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 458
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 594
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 647 / 458
- Promotions (if any): BOGO Margaritas
No other local games scheduled.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 12, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, May 12, 2016:
Total Attendance: 2,152
Clearwater Threshers:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 2,152
Clearwater Threshers:
- Team Home Game #: 17
- Attendance: 2,152
- Starting Pitcher: Matt Imhof
- Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Francisco Rios
- Avg Attendance to Date: 3,125
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 4,013
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,012
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,738
- Promotions (if any): Taps and Tacos Thursday
- Other events: None
No other local games scheduled.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 11, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, May 11, 2016:
Total Attendance: 1,128
Dunedin Blue Jays:
Bradenton Marauders:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 1,128
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 16
- Attendance: 530
- Starting Pitcher: Brad Allen
- Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tom Eschelman
- Avg Attendance to Date: 737
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 844
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 545
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 602
- Promotions (if any): None
- Other events: None
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 16
- Attendance: 598
- Starting Pitcher: Colten Brewer
- Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Jay
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,384
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,986
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 573
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,442
- Promotions (if any): None
No other local games scheduled.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Monthly Baseball Attendance Trends in Tampa Bay by Team 2007-2015
This post is an update to a post I wrote in July 2015.
Previously, we looked at the total monthly attendance trends of Minor League Baseball in Tampa Bay and compared it to the monthly attendance trends of the Tampa Bay Rays. We found attendance trends for Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay are very different.
Among the conclusions of the last post:
One of the biggest admitted problems with the last post was that I grouped all the Minor League teams together. We can almost safely assume fans of each team don’t often go to many games of the other Minor League teams. The only usual exception might be fans of the Dunedin Blue Jays going to Clearwater and vice versa, due to those teams’ proximity to each other.
So are all the Minor League teams the same? Do they all follow the same average monthly trends?
Here are the monthly trends for each team in the Tampa Bay area since 2007, starting with the Rays.
Since 2007, Rays attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
Here are the monthly attendance trends for the Clearwater Threshers:
2015 was unique to the Threshers as it was the first time April was their month of highest attendance. June remained a difficult month and July remained a good month for Threshers attendance.
Since 2007, Threshers attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
Here are the monthly attendance trends for the Tampa Yankees:
In 2015, Tampa Yankees monthly trends were almost identical to 2013 and 2014 trends.
Since 2007, Tampa Yankees attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
Here are the monthly attendance trends for the Dunedin Blue Jays:
In 2015, Dunedin Blue Jays monthly trends were very similar to 2014 trends. It is interesting to see how August has switched from their best month to their worst month.
Since 2007, Dunedin Blue Jays attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
Here are the monthly attendance trends for the Bradenton Marauders:
2015 was the first year Marauders attendance in April paced the year. It was also the first year June attendance was the lowest of the year, the year after it was the best month. Unlike the other regional teams, there isn't much of a pattern to the Marauders monthly trends.
Since 2010, Bradenton Marauders attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
The following chart depicts each team and their average monthly attendance pattern:
This chart shows us that the Minor League teams all have different monthly attendance trends and no Minor League team’s attendance trend is similar to the Rays.
This graph depicts the previous chart:
One consistent we see through each team is July. July is either the first, tied for first, or the second highest drawing month for every baseball team playing in the Tampa Bay area.
There is also something else interesting: the two highest drawing teams – the Threshers and Yankees – have their highest attendance in May. So they are driving the trend we saw in the previous post when we concluded May was a good month for Minor League teams while a bad month for the Rays.
Weather might also play a role in this attendance phenomenon. In May in the Tampa Bay area, the high temperature is usually in the mid-80s and the lows are in the mid-60s. When baseball games start in the early evening, the temperature is usually in the 70s. According to weatherspark.com, temperature is in the “comfortable to warm” bracket. According to usclimatedata.com, May is one of the least rainiest months in Tampa Bay. So the combination of nice weather, good promotions, and little chance of rain may be the reason more fans see the Threshers and Yankees in May than any other month.
Which might be a good reason for the Rays to look at a retractable dome if/when they build a new stadium, wherever it may be.
Previously, we looked at the total monthly attendance trends of Minor League Baseball in Tampa Bay and compared it to the monthly attendance trends of the Tampa Bay Rays. We found attendance trends for Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay are very different.
Among the conclusions of the last post:
- May is bad for the Rays, but very good for Minor League Baseball.
- June is a bad month for both the Rays and Minor League Baseball.
- July is the best month for baseball attendance overall in the Tampa Bay area.
- The beginning and end of the season draw similarly.
One of the biggest admitted problems with the last post was that I grouped all the Minor League teams together. We can almost safely assume fans of each team don’t often go to many games of the other Minor League teams. The only usual exception might be fans of the Dunedin Blue Jays going to Clearwater and vice versa, due to those teams’ proximity to each other.
So are all the Minor League teams the same? Do they all follow the same average monthly trends?
Here are the monthly trends for each team in the Tampa Bay area since 2007, starting with the Rays.
Since 2007, Rays attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
- July
- April
- August
- September/October
- June
- May
Here are the monthly attendance trends for the Clearwater Threshers:
2015 was unique to the Threshers as it was the first time April was their month of highest attendance. June remained a difficult month and July remained a good month for Threshers attendance.
Since 2007, Threshers attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
- July
- May
- April
- August/Sept
- June
Here are the monthly attendance trends for the Tampa Yankees:
In 2015, Tampa Yankees monthly trends were almost identical to 2013 and 2014 trends.
Since 2007, Tampa Yankees attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
- May
- July
- April
- June
- August/Sept
Here are the monthly attendance trends for the Dunedin Blue Jays:
In 2015, Dunedin Blue Jays monthly trends were very similar to 2014 trends. It is interesting to see how August has switched from their best month to their worst month.
Since 2007, Dunedin Blue Jays attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
- April / July (tie)
- August/Sept
- May
- June
Here are the monthly attendance trends for the Bradenton Marauders:
2015 was the first year Marauders attendance in April paced the year. It was also the first year June attendance was the lowest of the year, the year after it was the best month. Unlike the other regional teams, there isn't much of a pattern to the Marauders monthly trends.
Since 2010, Bradenton Marauders attendance has followed this pattern from highest to lowest:
- July
- August/Sept
- June
- May
- April
The following chart depicts each team and their average monthly attendance pattern:
This chart shows us that the Minor League teams all have different monthly attendance trends and no Minor League team’s attendance trend is similar to the Rays.
This graph depicts the previous chart:
One consistent we see through each team is July. July is either the first, tied for first, or the second highest drawing month for every baseball team playing in the Tampa Bay area.
There is also something else interesting: the two highest drawing teams – the Threshers and Yankees – have their highest attendance in May. So they are driving the trend we saw in the previous post when we concluded May was a good month for Minor League teams while a bad month for the Rays.
Weather might also play a role in this attendance phenomenon. In May in the Tampa Bay area, the high temperature is usually in the mid-80s and the lows are in the mid-60s. When baseball games start in the early evening, the temperature is usually in the 70s. According to weatherspark.com, temperature is in the “comfortable to warm” bracket. According to usclimatedata.com, May is one of the least rainiest months in Tampa Bay. So the combination of nice weather, good promotions, and little chance of rain may be the reason more fans see the Threshers and Yankees in May than any other month.
Which might be a good reason for the Rays to look at a retractable dome if/when they build a new stadium, wherever it may be.
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 10, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, May 10, 2016:
Total Attendance: 4,857
Tampa Yankees:
Clearwater Threshers:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 4,857
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 20
- Attendance: 754
- Starting Pitcher: Joey Maher
- Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Endrys Briceno
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,565
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,147
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 784
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 856
- Promotions (if any): None
- Other events: None
Clearwater Threshers:
- Team Home Game #: 16
- Attendance: 4,103
- Starting Pitcher: Will Morris
- Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Conner Green
- Avg Attendance to Date: 3,186
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 4,943
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,691
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,154
- Promotions (if any): $1 Tuesday
No other local games scheduled.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 9, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, May 9, 2016:
Total Attendance: 1,963
Tampa Yankees:
Bradenton Marauders:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 1,963
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 19
- Attendance: 823
- Starting Pitcher: Josh Rogers
- Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jeff Thompson
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,610
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,343
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 784
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 856
- Promotions (if any): 1/2 Price Monday
- Other events: None
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 15
- Attendance: 680
- Starting Pitcher: Alex McRae
- Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Stephan Gonsalves
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,436
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,449
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 581
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 760
- Promotions (if any): Get a Plan Night
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 15
- Attendance: 460
- Starting Pitcher: Justin Schafer
- Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Viza
- Avg Attendance to Date: 751
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 922
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 537
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 891
- Promotions (if any): None
No other local games scheduled.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Monthly Attendance Trends 2007-2015
This post is an update to a previous post I did last year with added 2015 data.
In this post, I will answer the following questions:
I have posted this before, but here are the Rays monthly attendance patterns from 2007 to 2015. In seasons where the Rays played regular season games in October (2009 and 2012), I have combined those games in September attendance.
(1= Highest drawing month of the year / 6= Lowest drawing month of the year)
Since 2007, Rays monthly average attendance has varied every year. But averaging the entire range, attendance follows this pattern from highest to lowest:
Here are the total monthly attendance patterns for the four Minor League Baseball teams in Tampa Bay from 2007 to 2015 – the Tampa Yankees, Clearwater Threshers, Bradenton Marauders, and Dunedin Blue Jays. We are taking all four teams together, although we can probably safely assume they draw from at least three different fanbases, with Dunedin and Clearwater having probable overlaps. In seasons where teams played regular season games in the first week of September, I have combined those games in August attendance.
Minor League attendance monthly patterns have not varied as much as Rays attendance. This might be because winning and player recognition means less to Minor League Baseball attendees than it does to Major League Baseball attendees. So Minor League fans are more likely to follow the same attendance pattern year by year.
Averaging the entire range, Tampa Bay Minor League Baseball average attendance follows this pattern from highest to lowest:
The following graph plots the Rays and the Minor League average patterns.
Here are a few facts we can derive from this graph:
Does this tell us anything about fan behavior?
Possibly. It shows us Tampa Bay area baseball ticket buyers prefer Minor League Baseball in May and July. We have talked before about the effect of fireworks, so 4th of July games may be a big part of July’s average attendance. The Rays don’t play many July 4th games due to their dome. What if we took away July 4th?
May is also when Minor League teams do "School Days". These promotions usually draw thousands of local kids. The Rays, on the other hand, hold a Camp Day in the summer where they invite thousands of kids from local organizations. So that might explain the May spike for the Minor League teams.
I would be curious to see how other Major and Minor League teams trend. Are Tampa Bay ticket buyers unique in their behavior?
All this research does is show us possible relationships. Although we can’t specifically say this specific fan bought tickets to this specific game for this specific reason, we can start to make assumptions based on the overall behavior of 2.8 million possible ticket buyers.
In this post, I will answer the following questions:
- Is there a difference between baseball attendance in each month?
- What months draw better? What months draw worse?
- Is the pattern of better months and worse months the same for both the Rays and the four Minor League teams in the Tampa Bay area? Do they follow different patterns?
- What can we learn about fan ticket purchasing behavior by looking at trends in average monthly attendance?
I have posted this before, but here are the Rays monthly attendance patterns from 2007 to 2015. In seasons where the Rays played regular season games in October (2009 and 2012), I have combined those games in September attendance.
(1= Highest drawing month of the year / 6= Lowest drawing month of the year)
Since 2007, Rays monthly average attendance has varied every year. But averaging the entire range, attendance follows this pattern from highest to lowest:
- July
- April
- August
- September/October
- June
- May
Here are the total monthly attendance patterns for the four Minor League Baseball teams in Tampa Bay from 2007 to 2015 – the Tampa Yankees, Clearwater Threshers, Bradenton Marauders, and Dunedin Blue Jays. We are taking all four teams together, although we can probably safely assume they draw from at least three different fanbases, with Dunedin and Clearwater having probable overlaps. In seasons where teams played regular season games in the first week of September, I have combined those games in August attendance.
Minor League attendance monthly patterns have not varied as much as Rays attendance. This might be because winning and player recognition means less to Minor League Baseball attendees than it does to Major League Baseball attendees. So Minor League fans are more likely to follow the same attendance pattern year by year.
Averaging the entire range, Tampa Bay Minor League Baseball average attendance follows this pattern from highest to lowest:
- May
- July
- April / Aug/Sept
- June
The following graph plots the Rays and the Minor League average patterns.
Here are a few facts we can derive from this graph:
- May is bad for the Rays, but very good for Minor League baseball.
- June is a bad month for both the Rays and Minor League Baseball.
- July is the best month for baseball attendance overall in the Tampa Bay area.
- The beginning and end of the season draw similarly.
Does this tell us anything about fan behavior?
Possibly. It shows us Tampa Bay area baseball ticket buyers prefer Minor League Baseball in May and July. We have talked before about the effect of fireworks, so 4th of July games may be a big part of July’s average attendance. The Rays don’t play many July 4th games due to their dome. What if we took away July 4th?
May is also when Minor League teams do "School Days". These promotions usually draw thousands of local kids. The Rays, on the other hand, hold a Camp Day in the summer where they invite thousands of kids from local organizations. So that might explain the May spike for the Minor League teams.
I would be curious to see how other Major and Minor League teams trend. Are Tampa Bay ticket buyers unique in their behavior?
All this research does is show us possible relationships. Although we can’t specifically say this specific fan bought tickets to this specific game for this specific reason, we can start to make assumptions based on the overall behavior of 2.8 million possible ticket buyers.
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 8, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, May 8, 2016:
Total Attendance: 504
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 504
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 14
- Attendance: 504
- Starting Pitcher: Kyle Westwood
- Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tejay Antone
- Avg Attendance to Date: 772
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 664
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 642
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 710
- Promotions (if any): Kids Free Sunday
- Other local events
- Tampa Bay Lightning Playoff game @ Amalie Arena (Attendance: 19,092)
No other local games scheduled.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 7, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, May 7, 2016:
Total Attendance: 4,457
Tampa Yankees:
Bradenton Marauders:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
University of South Florida Bulls:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 4,457
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 18
- Attendance: 1,728
- Starting Pitcher: Chance Adams
- Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Michael Mariot
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,657
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,793
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,305
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,602
- Promotions (if any): Post-game Fireworks
- Other events: None
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 14
- Attendance: 1,265
- Starting Pitcher: Austen Coley
- Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Greg Harris
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,490
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,361
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,812
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 882
- Promotions (if any): Seinfeld Night
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 13
- Attendance: 927
- Starting Pitcher: Ryan Borucki
- Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Seth Varner
- Avg Attendance to Date: 792
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 717
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,009
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 891
- Promotions (if any): Junior Jays Saturday
University of South Florida Bulls:
- Team Home Game #: 31
- Attendance: 537
- Avg Attendance to Date: 780
No other local games scheduled.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 6, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, May 6, 2016:
Total Attendance: 4,551
Tampa Yankees:
Bradenton Marauders:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
University of South Florida Bulls:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 4,551
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 17
- Attendance: 1,283
- Starting Pitcher: Ian Clarkin
- Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Ranfi Casimiro
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,652
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,149
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,343
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,824
- Promotions (if any): Wing Deal Friday
- Other events: None
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 13
- Attendance: 2,013
- Starting Pitcher: Yuedy Garcia
- Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Benton Moss
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,508
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,409
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,076
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,913
- Promotions (if any): Free Shirt / Scout Night
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 12
- Attendance: 674
- Starting Pitcher: Brad Allen
- Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Keury Mella
- Avg Attendance to Date: 781
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 612
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 663
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 674
- Promotions (if any): None
University of South Florida Bulls:
- Team Home Game #: 30
- Attendance: 581
- Avg Attendance to Date: 781
No other local games scheduled.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Tampa Bay Minor League Baseball April Attendance Trends 2007-2016
April is a great month for baseball in the Tampa Bay area. Not only do the Rays start a new season, but the four local minor league teams also begin play in April. While I have analyzed the Rays attendance by month for the last few seasons, I've never done the same for the Minor League teams.
Here we have the average April attendance for each of the four area Minor League teams. Also listed is the Rays April average and the total amount of Minor League games played in the area that year.
For the visually inclined, here is a chart depicting some of the above data.
The first thing we notice is the amount of growth. Every Minor League team has seen their April attendance increase since 2007.
Even the MiLB April average has gone up +434 fans per game. That's a 30% increase since 2007. That's significant and a great sign for the success of Minor League Baseball in the Tampa Bay region.
Another observation is the growth in April attendance since the Bradenton Marauders started play in 2010. While average April attendance increased from 1400s to 1500s from 2007 to 2010, since it has increased 20%, from the 1500s to the 1800s. Bradenton has become a successful Minor League town.
We also see an incredible growth in the Threshers attendance since 2013. The Threshers have been the most attended team in the Florida State League over the last few years and it starts with their success in April.
Unlike the Rays, who see attendance under 20,000 whenever the Lightning make the playoffs, no Minor League team sees consistent April attendance decreases whenever the Lightning make the playoffs (2007, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016).
However, since 2013 the Tampa Yankees April attendance has dropped 21%. It is possible this could be because of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Minor League April Weekday vs Weekend attendance
The next analysis is to explore the difference in weekday versus weekend attendance. We have noted that the Tampa Bay Rays see a significant increase in attendance on the weekends in April. Is this a trend for Minor League teams as well?
In a word? No.
The following chart depicts the total number of weekday games, the average attendance, and the total number of games played by Minor League Baseball in the Tampa Bay area per year.
This graph depicts the following chart.
There is a big bump in attendance from 2012 to 2015. I will have to dive into each team to see what the cause of that was. But in 2016, April weekday attendance dropped to what it was from 2008 to 2010.
Here is a chart of average April weekend attendance from 2007 to 2016 as well as the percent increase in weekend attendance.
The following graph depicts the previous chart.
On average, Minor League attendance goes up on the weekends in April. In 2016, attendance nearly increased 100%. Without digging into each individual team (perhaps in a later post), we can't tell if this is fan behavior or because teams in small venues played more weekday games and teams with larger venues played more games on the weekend.
Of note, the difficult thing about analyzing a four team group is that season schedules change. Not every team plays the same amount of games at home in April every year. So while Clearwater draws 2,000 a night, Dunedin only draws 700 or so. If Dunedin plays more home games in April and Clearwater starts the season on the road, average attendance will be lower.
There is a lot more to do in regards to analyzing Tampa Bay Minor League attendance trends. This is just a start. But I think it shows some interesting trends, especially in regards to how popular Minor League Baseball is in the Tampa Bay area.
Here we have the average April attendance for each of the four area Minor League teams. Also listed is the Rays April average and the total amount of Minor League games played in the area that year.
For the visually inclined, here is a chart depicting some of the above data.
The first thing we notice is the amount of growth. Every Minor League team has seen their April attendance increase since 2007.
- Marauders: +976 per game
- Threshers: +660 per game
- Yankees: +276 per game
- Blue Jays: +198 per game
Even the MiLB April average has gone up +434 fans per game. That's a 30% increase since 2007. That's significant and a great sign for the success of Minor League Baseball in the Tampa Bay region.
Another observation is the growth in April attendance since the Bradenton Marauders started play in 2010. While average April attendance increased from 1400s to 1500s from 2007 to 2010, since it has increased 20%, from the 1500s to the 1800s. Bradenton has become a successful Minor League town.
We also see an incredible growth in the Threshers attendance since 2013. The Threshers have been the most attended team in the Florida State League over the last few years and it starts with their success in April.
Unlike the Rays, who see attendance under 20,000 whenever the Lightning make the playoffs, no Minor League team sees consistent April attendance decreases whenever the Lightning make the playoffs (2007, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016).
However, since 2013 the Tampa Yankees April attendance has dropped 21%. It is possible this could be because of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Minor League April Weekday vs Weekend attendance
The next analysis is to explore the difference in weekday versus weekend attendance. We have noted that the Tampa Bay Rays see a significant increase in attendance on the weekends in April. Is this a trend for Minor League teams as well?
In a word? No.
The following chart depicts the total number of weekday games, the average attendance, and the total number of games played by Minor League Baseball in the Tampa Bay area per year.
This graph depicts the following chart.
There is a big bump in attendance from 2012 to 2015. I will have to dive into each team to see what the cause of that was. But in 2016, April weekday attendance dropped to what it was from 2008 to 2010.
Here is a chart of average April weekend attendance from 2007 to 2016 as well as the percent increase in weekend attendance.
The following graph depicts the previous chart.
On average, Minor League attendance goes up on the weekends in April. In 2016, attendance nearly increased 100%. Without digging into each individual team (perhaps in a later post), we can't tell if this is fan behavior or because teams in small venues played more weekday games and teams with larger venues played more games on the weekend.
Of note, the difficult thing about analyzing a four team group is that season schedules change. Not every team plays the same amount of games at home in April every year. So while Clearwater draws 2,000 a night, Dunedin only draws 700 or so. If Dunedin plays more home games in April and Clearwater starts the season on the road, average attendance will be lower.
There is a lot more to do in regards to analyzing Tampa Bay Minor League attendance trends. This is just a start. But I think it shows some interesting trends, especially in regards to how popular Minor League Baseball is in the Tampa Bay area.
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 5, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, May 5, 2016:
Total Attendance: 8,779
Tampa Yankees:
Bradenton Marauders:
Dunedin Blue Jays:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 8,779
Tampa Yankees:
- Team Home Game #: 16
- Attendance: 7,424
- Starting Pitcher: Vincente Campos
- Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Matt Imhof
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,677
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 4,082
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week:
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,042
- Promotions (if any): School Day
- Other events: None
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 12
- Attendance: 804
- Starting Pitcher: Colten Brewer
- Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Hunter Wood
- Avg Attendance to Date: 1,526
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 804
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 847
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,364
- Promotions (if any): Thirsty Thursday
Dunedin Blue Jays:
- Team Home Game #: 11
- Attendance: 551
- Starting Pitcher: Conner Greene
- Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tyler Mahle
- Avg Attendance to Date: 791
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 551
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 881
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 812
- Promotions (if any): None
No other local games scheduled.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 4, 2016
Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, May 4, 2016:
Total Attendance: 13,226
Tampa Bay Rays:
Clearwater Threshers:
Bradenton Marauders:
No other local games scheduled.
Total Attendance: 13,226
Tampa Bay Rays:
- Team Home Game #: 18
- Attendance: 13,226
- Starting Pitcher: Drew Smyly
- Opponent: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Opponent Starting Pitcher: Alex Wood
- Avg Attendance to Date: 16,243
- Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 13,671
- Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,362
- Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 13,034
- Promotions (if any): $2 Hot Dog Wednesday
- Other events: None
Clearwater Threshers:
- Team Home Game #: 16
- Attendance: RAINED OUT (Doubleheader scheduled May 15)
- Opponent: Tampa Yankees
Bradenton Marauders:
- Team Home Game #: 12
- Attendance: RAINED OUT (Doubleheader scheduled May 27)
- Opponent: St Lucie Mets
No other local games scheduled.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Tampa Bay Rays April 2016 Attendance Review
Welcome to our first monthly review of the Tampa Rays 2016 attendance. This post will look at attendance in games played from April 3, 2016 to April 30, 2016.
Comparing April 2016 with previous years
The following chart compares April 2016 average attendance to other recent years.
The average April 2016 attendance was 9.6% worse (1,690 fans per game) than the April 2015 per game average. April 2016 was the worst April average since April 2005.
Since 2007, every time the Lightning made the playoffs, Rays average April attendance was below 20,000. When the Lightning are not in the playoffs, Rays average April attendance was above 20,000. The impact of the Lightning on Rays early season attendance is indisputable.
Every year Rays average attendance was below 20,000 per game, the Tampa Bay Lightning were in the NHL playoffs and played games at the same time as the Rays.
Additionally, in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2016, Rays average April attendance was under 18,000. Those years there was more than one Lightning game played at the same time as a Rays game.
Weekdays vs Weekends
Let’s now look at the Rays April attendance on weekdays (Mon-Thurs) and weekends (Fri-Sun). As I have pointed out many times, the Rays usually have one of the biggest differences in Major League Baseball in regards to weekday versus weekend attendance.
This chart shows the Rays average weekday attendance in April since 2007. I have removed Opening Day attendance from this chart.
Although they played more weekday games in 2016 than any time since 2003, weekday attendance in April 2016 was the lowest since 2006, when the Devil Rays averaged only 12,116 for three weekday games in April.
The following chart shows Rays average weekend attendance in April since 2007.
A slight bit of good news. April 2016 weekend average attendance was 1,014 per game above April 2015 average attendance. April 2016 weekend average attendance was higher than 2015, 2011, and 2007 April weekend average.
April 2016 compares well with April 2011:
In 2016, the Rays played 15 home games in April, as they also did in 2011. In April 2016, as in April 2011, four Rays home games coincided with Tampa Bay Lightning games. Comparing April average attendance in 2016 to average attendance in April 2011, we see a drop of 1,521 per games. However, we might be able to explain that:
April 2011
April 2016
Besides less weekend games in 2016, Tropicana Field held more fans in 2011 than it does in 2016. So the Rays Opening Day sellout in 2011 was larger than the Opening Day sellout in 2016.
In 2011, Rays average attendance in April was their second worst attended month of the year behind only August. We will see how April compares to other months in 2016.
Conclusion
It was well-reported on my site and other many others that the Rays were going to try different promotions to get people to Tropicana Field in 2016. So far, however 2016 has not been a success, at least from a numbers perspective. Of course, attendance is rarely a short-term sprint. It is a marathon. And the Rays have miles and miles to go.
I do wonder however, what new Rays front office personnel think of the current attendance and the impact a Lightning playoff run has on the amount of Rays fans willing to make a trip to the Trop.
Before the season began, Rays front office personnel were quoted as saying "the ballpark is the only place in the Tampa Bay area where 15,000 people routinely gather on a given night." With 15,855 on average at the Trop through April, they were pretty dead on accurate.
- Total April 2016 Tampa Bay Rays home attendance: 237,820
- Average attendance per game: 15,854
- Highest attendance: 31,042 on April 3th (Opening Day)
- Lowest attendance: 10,117 on Wednesday, April 13th
- Average April game time: 2 hours, 46 minutes
- Highest attended series: 73,172 vs Blue Jays, April 3-6
- Lowest attended series: 31,115 vs Indians, April 12-14
- Competing events:
- Tampa Bay Lightning home games on April 13, 15, 27, and 30 (Attendance 19,092).
- UFC on FOX 19 @ Amalie Arena (Attendance: 11,273) April 16
- Tampa Bay Rowdies @ Al Lang Stadium (Attendance: 4,429) April 16
- USF Football Spring Game @ USF Campus (Attendance: 4,418) April 16
- Total Tampa Bay Minor League April attendance: 82,140
- Tampa Bay Minor League attendance per game: 1,867 (44 games)
Comparing April 2016 with previous years
The following chart compares April 2016 average attendance to other recent years.
The average April 2016 attendance was 9.6% worse (1,690 fans per game) than the April 2015 per game average. April 2016 was the worst April average since April 2005.
Since 2007, every time the Lightning made the playoffs, Rays average April attendance was below 20,000. When the Lightning are not in the playoffs, Rays average April attendance was above 20,000. The impact of the Lightning on Rays early season attendance is indisputable.
Every year Rays average attendance was below 20,000 per game, the Tampa Bay Lightning were in the NHL playoffs and played games at the same time as the Rays.
- 2007: 3 Lightning playoff games
- 2011: 4 Lightning playoff games
- 2014: 1 Lightning playoff game
- 2015: 2 Lightning playoff games
- 2016: 4 Lightning playoff games
Additionally, in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2016, Rays average April attendance was under 18,000. Those years there was more than one Lightning game played at the same time as a Rays game.
Weekdays vs Weekends
Let’s now look at the Rays April attendance on weekdays (Mon-Thurs) and weekends (Fri-Sun). As I have pointed out many times, the Rays usually have one of the biggest differences in Major League Baseball in regards to weekday versus weekend attendance.
This chart shows the Rays average weekday attendance in April since 2007. I have removed Opening Day attendance from this chart.
Although they played more weekday games in 2016 than any time since 2003, weekday attendance in April 2016 was the lowest since 2006, when the Devil Rays averaged only 12,116 for three weekday games in April.
The following chart shows Rays average weekend attendance in April since 2007.
A slight bit of good news. April 2016 weekend average attendance was 1,014 per game above April 2015 average attendance. April 2016 weekend average attendance was higher than 2015, 2011, and 2007 April weekend average.
April 2016 compares well with April 2011:
In 2016, the Rays played 15 home games in April, as they also did in 2011. In April 2016, as in April 2011, four Rays home games coincided with Tampa Bay Lightning games. Comparing April average attendance in 2016 to average attendance in April 2011, we see a drop of 1,521 per games. However, we might be able to explain that:
April 2011
- Weekday home games: 7
- Weekend home games: 7
April 2016
- Weekday home games: 9
- Weekend home games: 5
Besides less weekend games in 2016, Tropicana Field held more fans in 2011 than it does in 2016. So the Rays Opening Day sellout in 2011 was larger than the Opening Day sellout in 2016.
In 2011, Rays average attendance in April was their second worst attended month of the year behind only August. We will see how April compares to other months in 2016.
Conclusion
It was well-reported on my site and other many others that the Rays were going to try different promotions to get people to Tropicana Field in 2016. So far, however 2016 has not been a success, at least from a numbers perspective. Of course, attendance is rarely a short-term sprint. It is a marathon. And the Rays have miles and miles to go.
I do wonder however, what new Rays front office personnel think of the current attendance and the impact a Lightning playoff run has on the amount of Rays fans willing to make a trip to the Trop.
Before the season began, Rays front office personnel were quoted as saying "the ballpark is the only place in the Tampa Bay area where 15,000 people routinely gather on a given night." With 15,855 on average at the Trop through April, they were pretty dead on accurate.
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