Rays cede cheap seats to local Minor League Baseball

Been a while. Not sure if I will post as regularly or just on occasion. But there has been a lot of baseball news in Tampa Bay this offseason. Some of which has been covered very well. For now, when I see an angle that I don’t think is being covered, I’ll discuss it here.)

As most baseball fans in the Tampa Bay area are now aware, last week the Rays announced they are closing off seating in the 300 level, reducing the total capacity in Tropicana Field from 31,042 to somewhere between 25,000-26,000.

Of course, the jury is still out on what the Rays are doing to the space those seats used to occupy. As par for the course, the Rays front office used words like “intimate” and “better fan experience”. Deadspin’s Barry Petchesky rebuked those claims well in his article.

“Intimate,” that buzzword used by every team that moves to a smaller stadium, or renovates its existing one to have a smaller capacity—or just dreams of doing so. It’s about the “fan experience,” you see. Unless the fan experience you’re looking for is buying the cheapest ticket possible because sometimes it’s fun to go to a ballgame and sit in the nosebleeds and eat a dang hotdog.

For now, the Rays claim there will still be cheap ticket options at Tropicana Field. But the Rays still use dynamic pricing so fans only know how much a ticket will cost when tickets are set before the season. By driving up scarcity, and letting the dynamic pricing model take hold as the season progresses, the price of seats goes up according to demand, not by tier. As well, games against the Yankees and Red Sox will always be more expensive, despite attendance against each of those teams decreasing drastically since 2010.

The bigger question remains: Does MLB in Tampa Bay and beyond need cheap ticket options? There are few inexpensive options for NHL, NBA, and NFL games, so why should there be in baseball? Are fans married to the Norman Rockwell myth of knothole gangs looking through wooden fences in the 1940s? 

Are those myths as outdated as speedy lead-off men and starting pitchers?

There will always be inexpensive baseball options in America, and especially in the Tampa Bay area. Despite a 7% decrease from 2016*, Tampa Bay’s four Minor League teams – the Threshers, Marauders, Tarpons, and Blue Jays – combined drew over 350,000 fans for the 8th year in a row in 2018.

(2017 featured Tebow Mania.)

Local Minor League Baseball has always been in competition with the Rays, especially in the spring months of April and May. They market to casual baseball fans with cheaper ticket options, no dynamic pricing, and the same, if not better, “intimacy and fan experience”. There is a reason the Rays worst attended month (May) is typically the local Minor League teams’ best. Tampa Bay area Minor League teams are more conveniently located to most Tampa Bay baseball fans and the teams play outdoors, feature fireworks, and often have the same food and beer options as the Rays.

All for ticket and parking prices far cheaper than Tropicana Field – sometimes as low as $1.

Unlike nearly every other Major League team, the Rays never had a monopoly on low price point baseball in their region. Fans have always had cheaper and more convenient baseball options. And as long as there is Spring Training in Tampa Bay, there will be Florida State League baseball in Tampa Bay.

With their announcement last week, the Rays focused on their niche – dedicated fans who will travel to Tropicana Field to buy tickets to see Major League Baseball. That number will be between 1.1 million and 2.1 million in 2019. Even as the 100-loss Devil Rays, the Rays never drew less than 1 million, so don’t expect attendance to drop that low. And if the current maximum seating is 26,000 per game, the Rays can only max 2.1 million in 81 games.

It will be curious to see if Minor League Baseball in the Tampa Bay area will capitalize on the Rays decision and increase their marketing to casual fans looking for lower price point baseball options.

(It’s good to be back.)

Clearwater Threshers 2017 Attendance Review

Welcome to our fourth attendance review of 2017 and our eleventh attendance review of the Clearwater Threshers. Today we look at the home attendance of the 2017 Clearwater Threshers.

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

Clearwater Threshers 2017:

Home Games: 72

Total attendance: 200,201 (up 10% from 2016: 181,594)

Per Game Average: 2,988 (up 10% from 2016: 2,710)

Highest attended game: 9,729 on Monday, July 3rd vs Tampa

Lowest attended game: 1,211 on Wednesday, July 26th vs Daytona

Double headers: 5 (Apr 13, June 5, June 14, July 25, July 30)

Cancellations: 0

Average time of game: 2 hours, 31 minutes

Notable rehab assignments: None

Other notable appearances: None

Breakdown:

(red highlight = below annual average of 2,988)

Overall:

Top 10 attended games:

By Month:

The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.

By Day of the Week:

Threshers attendance increased 11% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.

• Mon-Thurs average attendance: 2,867 (41 games)


• Fri-Sun average attendance: 3,179 (26 games)


• Increase: 10.8%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.

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

By Opponent:

By Starting Pitcher:

The following chart depicts how attendance reacted from one starter to the next. If a pitcher is a great draw, the percentage between he and the prior starter should be higher.

Additional Clearwater Threshers Reviews:

2016 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2015 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2014 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2013 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2012 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2011 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2010 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2009 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2008 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review
2007 Clearwater Threshers Attendance Review

Tampa Bay Area Minor League Trends 2017 - By Team

As we saw in a previous post, Minor League Baseball attendance in the Tampa Bay area increased 5% from 2016. In 2017, Minor League Baseball in 2017 distributed a total 412,212 tickets between the area's four teams.

The totals of each Tampa Bay area teams:

• Clearwater Threshers: 200,293 total / 2,987 per game
• Tampa Yankees: 93,742 total / 1,420 per game
• Bradenton Marauders: 79,331 total / 1,300 per game
• Dunedin Blue Jays: 38,963 total / 562 per game

Clearwater and Tampa saw increases in attendance, while attendance dropped for Bradenton and Dunedin. The following charts depict each team's trends in attendance (total and per game) since 2005 - and 2010 in Bradenton's case. By team breakdowns will occur in a later post.

Clearwater Threshers

• Total: 200,293 (up 10%)
• Per Game: 2,987 (up 10%)
• Ranking in Minor League Baseball: 116 of 303

Total attendance since 2005:

Per game attendance since 2005:

Tampa Yankees

• Total: 93,792 (up 27%)
• Per Game: 1,420 (up 22%)
• Ranking in Minor League Baseball: 202 of 303

Total attendance since 2005:

Per game attendance since 2005:

Bradenton Marauders

• Total: 79,331 (down 9%)
• Per Game: 1,300 (down 3%)
• Ranking in Minor League Baseball: 214 of 303

Total attendance since 2005:

Per game average attendance 2005-2017:

Dunedin Blue Jays

• Total: 38,963 (down 22%)
• Per Game: 573 (down 26%)
• Ranking in Minor League Baseball: 296 of 303

Total attendance since 2005:

Per game average attendance 2005-2017:

Tampa Bay Area Minor League Baseball Totals 2017

In 2017, total attendance for Minor League Baseball in Tampa Bay was 412,212. In total, 260 Florida State League games were played between Bradenton, Clearwater, Dunedin, and Tampa.

412,212 was an increase of 20,128 over 2016's attendance of 392,084. While attendance increased, 2017's attendance was still the second lowest Tampa Bay area Minor League total since the Bradenton Marauders began play in 2010.

The following shows Tampa Bay area Minor League attendance totals since 2005:

Since 2005, almost 5 million tickets have been sold for Minor League Baseball in Tampa Bay.

Returning to 2017, here is how Minor League attendance fared throughout the season. Local Florida State League regular season games started on April 6th and ended on September 2nd.

The large attendance spike in the middle is the July 3-5th weekend. Each local team had a fireworks display that was among their highest draws of the year. The attendance spike on the right in mid-August was when St Lucie Met Tim Tebow visited the Tampa Yankees and Clearwater Threshers. Each team saw an influx of fans hoping to see the ex-NFL quarterback in action.

I'll break down each team later on this week, but here is the overall trends for each of the four local Florida State League teams:

Total Attendance

The following graph depicts the above chart:

Attendance Per Game

The following graph depicts the above chart.

A few things we will discuss in a later post:

• Clearwater's increase
• Dunedin's decrease
• Bradenton's missing games
• The Tebow Effect
• Where the four Tampa Bay Minor League teams rank nationally

The Tebow Effect on Tampa Bay Minor League Attendance

One of the biggest, if not THE BIGGEST, story in Minor League Baseball this season is the play of former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow. Years ago, I wrote for a Minor League Baseball site, and I guarantee I would have been all over this story in every location he played. But as this website is focused strictly on Tampa Bay area baseball, I am keeping my Tebow writing to only his appearances here.

Prior to his arrival in the Florida State League, Tebow boosted attendance throughout the South Atlantic League Columbia Fireflies, the Mets Low-A Minor League affiliate. Baseball America had a very good article stating Tebow was worth approximately 2,000 fans per game.

For the lowest rungs of Minor League Baseball, that's very significant.

Although he has played for the St Lucie Mets since early July, Tebow visited Tampa Bay teams for the first time in early August, when the Mets played the Tampa Yankees and Clearwater Threshers. The Mets played their scheduled games against Dunedin and Bradenton prior to Tebow's arrival.

While it is easy to say "Tebow drew X fans", the true measure is looking how many he drew above the average per day. Weekends of course draw more than weekdays and heavily promoted days draw more than non-promoted days. The below chart shows the effect Tim Tebow had on attendance at Steinbrenner Field and Spectrum Field.

Clearly, Tebow had a huge impact on attendance, from 170% above daily average to 362% above daily average. Even the Threshers $1 Tuesdays saw a huge bump in attendance. While total attendance for Tebow's games in Tampa Bay was 40,351, these games drew 24,336 above average. That's 252% or 2.5x the average attendance, every game.

Should Tim Tebow be playing in Minor Leagues? Maybe, maybe not. Is he taking up the spot a younger prospect should have? Maybe, maybe not. Is he a feel-good story when our world is lacking in them? Perhaps. Is he good for the business of Minor League Baseball in Tampa Bay? Absolutely.

Additionally, for those curious, here is how the Tampa Bay Rays fared in ticket sales while Tebow played the Yankees across the bay.

There isn't much here. Rays attendance on weekdays did worse, but that could also be attributed to the team's worse play of late. Rays attendance on Saturday did better, but attendance on Sunday was almost exactly the average. There is almost no way to attribute the effect of Tim Tebow to any of these four games.

Tim Tebow will continue to be a story as long as he continues to play Minor League Baseball. While he might play for the Mets as they visit Tampa Bay during Spring Training, his Minor League experiences against Tampa Bay area teams is likely over, as he will probably move up to the Mets AA Minor League affiliate next season.

But for one week during one season, Tim Tebow fans in Tampa Bay came out in droves* to see their favorite player.

(*droves = a completely arbitrary term of measurement not often used on this website)

Tampa Bay area Minor League Baseball April Attendance Trends 2007-2017

We looked at the Rays April attendance trends last week. This week I want to look at the other four professional baseball teams playing in Tampa Bay. These teams are all members of the Florida State League and play in Spring Training stadiums. Attendance for the Florida State League is never overwhelming, but these teams often have a few games a month that draw very well.

As I have said before, April and May are among the best attended months for Tampa Bay minor league teams. The weather in Tampa Bay is optimal for outside baseball - it is not yet too hot and humid.

Here are the average April attendance for each of the four area Minor League teams from 2007 to 2017. Also listed is the Rays April average and the total amount of Minor League games played in the area that year.

The bottom rows of this chart depict the difference between April 2016 and April 2017. While the Rays and Clearwater Threshers increased, the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Marauders saw significant decreases April over April.

The following graph shows the April average attendance for the four Minor League teams since 2007.

Here we see the Threshers above and beyond the other three teams. The Yankees and Marauders are too far distance-wise from the Threshers for us to estimate any correlation. Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin however is only 10 minutes from Clearwater, so it is possible an increase in Threshers attendance could cause a decrease in Blue Jays attendance.

We will now look at each individual team and their April averages since 2007.

Clearwater Threshers

The following graph shows Threshers April attendance since 2007:

Since 2013, Threshers April attendance has increased by over 1,000 fans per game.

Here are the Threshers attendance numbers and percentage increase or decrease since 2007.

Tampa Yankees

The following graph shows the Yankees April average attendance since 2007:

Since 2012, Tampa Yankees April average attendance has declined 810 fans per game. The following are the Yankees attendance numbers and percentage increase or decrease since 2007.

Bradenton Marauders

The following graph shows the Marauders April average attendance since 2010:

Since 2015, Bradenton Marauders April average attendance has declined 540 fans per game, to a similar level they saw in 2012-2014. The following are the Marauders attendance numbers and percentage increase or decrease since 2010.

Dunedin Blue Jays

The following graph shows the Dunedin Blue Jays April average attendance since 2007:

In 2017, the Dunedin Blue Jays had their worst April average attendance since 2007. The following are the Dunedin Blue Jays attendance numbers and percentage increase or decrease since 2007.

Conclusion

Before we judge each team's attendance in 2017 based on April, we have figure where April usually stands in regards to each team's monthly ranking.

• For the Threshers, April is usually their third busiest month.
• For the Yankees, April has been their third busiest month.
• For the Marauders, April is their fourth busiest month.
• For the Blue Jays, April is typically their 2nd best month for attendance.

We will continue to post Tampa Bay area Minor League attendance trends as the season continues.

Threshers engaging in Security Theater

After changing the name of their stadium last month, the Clearwater Threshers made another announcement last week.

According to a press release on their website, the Phillies security team are installing metal detectors at Spectrum Field.

All guests will be expected to walk through metal detectors at all entrance gates, starting with the Phillies vs. Tampa Spartans game on Thursday, February 23, 2017. The added security is part of a Major League Baseball mandate that all fans are subject to metal detection screening.

I'm confused. This is a Major League mandate. Not a Minor League mandate. Why is it being done at a Minor League field? The reason security is high at Major League parks is because they are typically large gatherings of 25,000 to 50,000 people. Spring Training at Clearwater rarely tops 10,000 and Florida State League games at Clearwater rarely top 5,000 and typically are between 1,500 and 3,000.

However unlikely the odds, if a terrorist were to plant a bomb at Spectrum Field, there are only a few select dates in which they would inflict maximum human casualties. If there was a gunman, that is something that can be taken out by a quick thinking armed security guard, which I hope are already present.

And it doesn't prevent a drone from flying in something. Or someone from hoping a fence.

Or someone getting hurt in a bar fight. After all, there is a bar in left field that serves alcohol.

Threshers average attendance has been over 2,700 per game the last three seasons. While Spring Training fans might not mind the security inconvenience, we will see if local Clearwater fans will put up with this latest episode of Security Theater.

Bright House Field is now Spectrum Field

Way back in April 2015, I theorized how the sale of Bright House cable services to Charter Communications could affect the name of the home stadium of the Clearwater Threshers. Since 2004, when the Phillies Florida State League team began play in the facility, its name has been Bright House Field.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, as of mid-January, the facility will be known as Spectrum Field, named after a part of Charter Communication's service. This is the first facility name change in the region since 2010 when Dunedin Stadium became Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.

Overall, in the grand scheme of marketing, this decision won't make much difference. Of course, the Charter group will have to pay the cost for rebranding, but once fans get used to the change, there will be no difference. One corporate supporter to another - the way of sports today.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Changes Since 2007

Over the last few weeks, I have been exploring monthly attendance averages for baseball teams in the Tampa Bay area. I used 2007 as a start date for my research as 2007 was the Rays last year of being the Devil Rays and it was the first year of the Stu Sternberg ownership.

Before we dig into attendance, let's look at two major factors driving attendance: possible people and money available.

For possible people, we'll use the metro population of Tampa Bay from 2007 to 2016:

• 2007: 2,733,678
• 2015: 2,975,225

Difference: +8%

For money available, we'll use Adjusted Median Household Income.

Overall difference between Tampa Bay area median household income 2007 to 2015: -8.2%

The following chart shows the change in average monthly attendance from 2007 to 2016 attendance.

The Marauders had not yet begun play in 2007, so hence the N/As.

Let's explore month by month:

April:

Rays average April attendance in 2007 was 10% higher than it was in 2016. The Rays had 1,937 less fans per game in 2016 than they did in 2007. In 2007, the team started 5-6 and they started 8-7 in 2016. There is also increased awareness in the team and a record of success from 2008-2013.

Meanwhile, every Minor League team in the Tampa Bay area has seen an April attendance increase since 2007. Minor League attendance has increased an average of 1,134 total in April.

• Threshers: +660
• Yankees: +276
• Blue Jays: +198

It is possible some fans opted to go to Minor League Baseball games in the nice Florida April weather than to go to the domed Tropicana Field.

May:

Rays attendance in May 2016 was 38% more than it was in May 2007. The Rays drew 3,000 more on weekdays and nearly 4,000 more per game on weekends in 2016 than they did in 2007. Rays average May attendance in 2015 was actually lower than it was in 2007, so much of the gain was due to something done for 2016.

Minor League average attendance differences were varied between 2007 and 2016.

• Blue Jays: 111
• Threshers: 72
• Yankees: -1,824

Again, a bit misleading in regards to the Yankees since May 2007 Yankees attendance was highlighted by a Roger Clemens rehab assignment that drew 10,000 fans.

June:

Again, the Rays saw a large increase in June average attendance compared to their June 2007 average attendance, drawing over 3,700 more fans per game. This was not only due to the sellout for Pride Night either. Without Pride Night, the Rays still had over 1,000 more fans per game in June 2016 than they did in June 2007.

Minor League June average attendance increased in the case of the Threshers, saw little variance in Dunedin, and decreased in Tampa.

• Threshers: 106
• Blue Jays: 6
• Yankees: -689

July:

A second month where Rays average attendance was lower in 2016 than it was in 2007. We can probably attribute this to lower attendance in games versus the Yankees and Red Sox, neither of whom are the draw they used to be.

July attendance for Threshers increased the most (534 per game), followed by the Blue Jays with 252 per game. We might assume these July increases are mostly because of increased 4th of July extravaganzas.

Meanwhile, Tampa Yankees attendance in July 2016 was 366 fans less per game than Tampa Yankees attendance in July 2007.

August:

The Rays struggled through attendance in August 2016. August 2007 wasn't great, but it was consistently higher with attendance ranging from 23,000 to 10,000.

While Threshers attendance marginally increased, August attendance for both the Blue Jays and the Yankees plummeted.

September:

With Minor League Baseball season complete, the Rays no longer face any regional baseball competition for eyes, butts, or dollars. The Rays drew 27% worse per game in September 2016 than they did in September 2007.

Perhaps this is due to expectations. Perhaps it is due to games against the Yankees and the Red Sox not drawing as well. Perhaps it is because household income has decreased and people are going to games in the summer when the kids are out of school, but not in April or August/September.

While 240,000 more people live in Tampa Bay since 2007, we are seeing only limited increases in baseball attendance. If 50% of the 240,000 are baseball fans (national average), then there is the potential for gains across the board. So far we are not seeing that.

Average difference per game 2007 to 2016:

• Threshers: +230
• Blue Jays: +49
• Yankees: -680
• Rays: -1,587

Are these people not baseball fans? Do they live near any stadium? I could assume they are going to Spring Training only, but total Spring Training attendance in 2016 is 50,000 less than total Spring Training attendance in 2007, albeit with the relocation of the Rays from Al Lang Field in St. Pete to Port Charlotte.

Perhaps a growing economy, more jobs, and an increased population will boost baseball attendance in Tampa Bay. But with increasing market competition from the Lightning, Bucs, Rowdies, and USF sports, baseball in Tampa Bay has a tough road to travel.

Tampa Bay Minor League Baseball Monthly Attendance Averages: 2007-2016

A few weeks ago, I looked at the monthly averages of each minor league team in the Tampa Bay area. I looked at the trends from 2007 to 2016. Some teams had increased, others had decreased. But I analyzed each team individually.

Now I want to combine the charts and see if there are any patterns or any relationship in Minor League attendance trends.

Tampa Bay Minor League Baseball Average Attendance

April:

Here we see the Threshers average attendance climbing, the Yankees dropping, the Marauders increasing then decreasing, and the Blue Jays staying level.

I explored April average attendance earlier in 2016 and came to the following conclusions:

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

However, since 2013 the Tampa Yankees April attendance has dropped 21%. It is possible this could be because of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

May:

As I mentioned in the Tampa Yankees trend analysis, 2007 was an anomaly due to a Roger Clemens rehab start. Because of a Yankees steep drop - possibly due to Lightning playoff runs - and Marauders steady increase, the Marauders have caught the Tampa Yankees in average May attendance. The Blue Jays and Threshers have slightly increased.

June:

In the last 10 years, the Threshers attendance has increased less 100 per game and the Blue Jays average June attendance has increased by six. After a huge gain, the Marauders have only increased 200 per game. Meanwhile, the Yankees have decreased almost 700 fans per game in June since 2007.

July:

Since 2007, Threshers average July attendance has increased over 500 fans per game. Blue Jays average attendance has increased over 250 and Marauders attendance increased over 600. Adversely, Tampa Yankees average July attendance has dropped over 300 per game in the last 10 years. Yankees average attendance in 2016 was below Marauders attendance and slightly above Blue Jays attendance.

August/September:

Over the last 10 years, the Threshers an average August increase of 25 fans per game. Marauders attendance has increased nearly 300 fans per August game. On the other hand, Blue Jays average August attendance decreased over 300 fans per game and Tampa Yankees has decreased 800 fans per game in August.

Conclusion:

We don't see much, if any, correlation between Minor League team attendance. According to these charts, even Dunedin and Clearwater do not have much of a relationship. The Tampa Yankees attendance decline needs to be explored. The Marauders have also seen increases early in the season and decreases in the later months.

In my Rays analysis, I broke down average attendance by weekend and weekday attendance. I may want to see if Minor League trends follow the Rays trends in regards to average difference between weekend and weekday attendance in each month. By comparing the difference between weekend and weekday attendance, we can start analyzing local fan behavior.

Perhaps fans are more likely to go to Minor League Baseball during the week. Perhaps there is no correlation between the Rays and each Minor League team.

Clearwater Threshers Attendance 2005-2016

Over the last few weeks, we have looked at the 2016 attendance of Minor League teams in the Tampa Bay area. This week, I want to look at each team individually, and see how 2016 fares in the context of their attendance since 2007.

Today, we start with the Clearwater Threshers. The Threshers moved into Bright House Field in 2004.

The following chart shows Threshers total games, total attendance, and attendance per game.

While the chart shows 2005 and 2006, the total and average rows are only for 2007-2016, since I do not yet have a game-by-game breakdown of 2005 and 2006.

(Note: Doubleheaders only count for one game's attendance. For example, a team might play 70 games and one doubleheader, thus resulting in only 69 attendance dates. In order to calculate "true" per game attendance, we have to subtract the null game of doubleheaders.)

The Threshers 2016 attendance was the second highest turnout in franchise history, behind only their 2014 turnout. Threshers total attendance has been over 170,000 fans each year since 2010. Threshers average attendance has been over 2,500 each year since 2010. The Threshers remain the highest attended team in the Tampa Bay area and often have been the highest attended team in the Florida State League.

The following graph depicts the total attendance column in the above chart.

The following graph depicts the average per game attendance column in the above chart.

Tampa Bay area Minor League Baseball Playoff Attendance Review

A few weeks ago, the Florida State League season came to an end and the Bradenton Marauders won the FSL Championship. The championship concluded the FSL playoffs, which went two rounds and lasted from September 6th to September 13th.

While the Florida State League Playoffs are a big deal to the teams and to the organizations, they usually do not make much of a difference with the fanbases in the Tampa Bay area. As a matter of fact, often Florida State League playoffs in Tampa Bay draw less than the team's average attendance during the season.

According to other articles and observations, lack of interest in Minor League playoffs is a nationwide phenomenon.

This article from 2013, for example, details the attendance postseason decline for the Durham Bulls, one of the most popular teams in Minor League Baseball.

A few weeks ago, the Minor League Baseball Promotions account tweeted this:

Because the games can happen on such short notice, sometimes attendance struggles in the Post-Season. Please support playoff baseball!

— Minor League Promos (@MiLBPromos) September 10, 2016

Postseason attendance struggles are not limited to Tampa Bay or the Florida State League.

But unlike some teams that have little local competition, there are several factors unique to Tampa Bay and the Florida State League that might affect Minor League post season attendance.

• College football season
• Pro football season
• Major League Baseball season
• Labor Day beach visits

There isn't much buzz to Minor League Baseball in the Tampa Bay area to begin with, so when football - both college and the NFL begins - even the best accomplishments of the local Minor League teams will be pushed to the backpages. Combined with the fact that the Rays are still playing and the beach is still a viable option, it is no surprise the Florida State League playoffs struggle at the gate.

Our next step is to find out how much do they struggle and does attendance lag for one team moreso than any other? Does any of Tampa Bay's four Minor League teams do well at the gate in the postseason?

Since 2007, there have been 26 Florida State League playoff games in the Tampa Bay area. Each team has made the playoffs at least twice, with the Dunedin Blue Jays reaching the playoffs 5 times in the last 10 years (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016).

Total postseason games played by Tampa Bay area Florida State League teams:

• Tampa Yankees: 10
• Bradenton Marauders: 6
• Dunedin Blue Jays: 6
• Clearwater Threshers: 4

Let's look at each team's postseason games since 2007 and see how well they performed at the gate.

On the following charts "Team Avg Wkend/Wkday Attendance" is the average weekend or weekday attendance for that team for that year. Typically, there is a 30% or more difference in weekend attendance and little difference between individual weekdays or weekends.

Tampa Yankees:

The Yankees have played the most games due to their playoff runs - they won the FSL championship in 2009 and 2010 and lost in the finals in 2016. But only 6 of their 10 games were played in Steinbrenner Field. In 2016, Tampa Yankees playoff games were played at the park of their opponent, Dunedin and then Bradenton. This was due to construction scheduled at Steinbrenner Field (which might be a perfect example of the priority placed on the Florida State League playoffs.)

The Tampa Yankees only exceeded their average weekday/weekend attendance once - 9/8/2009 versus Brevard County.

Bradenton Maruaders:

The Marauders started play in 2010 and immediately made the FSL Playoffs. Attendance-wise, their 6 playoff games have had mixed success. Of their 4 weekday playoff games, on 9/6/2011 drew far less than their weekday average attendance.

In 2016, the Marauders played their first weekend playoff games. These games drew far less than the Marauders weekend average.

Dunedin Blue Jays:

The Dunedin Blue Jays have perhaps the best postseason attendance among Tampa Bay area Florida State League teams. They have exceed their average attendance in 50% of their postseason games since 2007. Unfortunately, their biggest difference came in their one 2016 postseason game. We will see what future trends are.

Clearwater Threshers:

The Clearwater Threshers have been in the fewest playoff games in the Tampa Bay area since 2007. Three of their games occurred in 2007 and each drew far less than their weekday average. Their sole playoff game in 2015 drew better than the 2007 games, but was still less than 60% of their average weekday attendance.

During the regular season, the Threshers, like most teams, capitalize on daily promotions. The late scheduling of the Minor League postseason usually prevents teams from scheduling promotions. The playoffs requires attention from fans of the team. It is the championship-caliber of play that should attract fans. Unfortunately, in the highly saturated Tampa Bay market, it is difficult for Minor League teams to attract fans purely on fan allegiance or quality of play.