Jim Peltz from The Los Angeles Times gives the noticeable drop in attendance at Dodger Stadium this year some focus: attendance is down 7,902 per game, resulting in $27 million in reduced ticket sales, parking and concession revenues, and approximately a 9.4% drop in annual revenue.
Woah. Now only the Dodgers can tell us what the $27 million actually means for the financial operations of the club (although I think it’s safe to say it doesn’t mean the Dodgers will be a leading candidate to sign Prince Fielder this off-season). That said, people are staying away. When the nightly attendance figures are announced for every home game, it’s practically a joke, with writers and fans frequently tweeting about the released number and smaller crowds in the stands.
And yeah, that 7,902 figire represnts the largest drop across Major League Baseball. In his must-read article for Dodger fans, Peltz notes that the next-biggest attendance drop is the Seattle Mariners, with an average drop of 4,213 per game.
In my opinion, the attendance decline is tied directly to utter disgust with the McCourt ownership group, the Opening Day beating of Bryan Stowe and a lack of financial commitment to fielding a competitive team worthy of the #2 media market in the country. Put all three of those things together and you have one pissed off fan base that appears to have had it.
The scary thing is, Frank McCourt’s history is to fight to the bitter end, and for Dodger fans, that’s a prospect that should make everyone very, very nervous.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire
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Attendance is largely a reflection of whether or not the team is winning and star power. I note that one day the attendance was 29,000. The next day, it was over 50,000 due to Kershaw being the picture. Yes, a few people may stay away due to McCourt’s situation, but let’s be truthful about this and stop exaggerating the facts.