2014 Major League Baseball Attendance Analysis
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2014 ATTENDANCE ANALYSIS Compiled and Written by David P. Kronheim [email protected] © 2015 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2014 ATTENDANCE ANALYSIS TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGES Attendance Reporting Guidelines, Definition of a Sellout, Information Sources….….………………….……… 2-3 2014 Major League Attendance Overview, Summary, Team Highlights………….………………………….…. 4-9 Team-by-Team 2014 vs. 2013 Total Attendance Comparison Table……………………………………………. 10 2014 vs. 2013 Average Attendance per Date Comparison. Number of 2014 Sellouts by Team……………. 11 2014 Highlights and League Attendance Comparison………………………………………………..…..………. 12 Average Attendance per Team, 2014 Road Attendance Leaders, 2014 Attendance by Month……………… 13 ‘3 Million’ Seasons, 2014 Minor League Attendance, Biggest Crowds of 2014…………….…….…….……… 14-15 Season Total Attendance Milestones Reached by Each Team………………………………………………….. 16 Biggest Year-to-Year Attendance Changes………………………………………………………………………… 17 Spring Training Attendance, includes 2015………………………………………………………………………… 18-19 2014 Opening Day, World Baseball Classic, All-Star Game, and Post-Season Attendance………………….. 20 Rainy Season Report………………………………………………………………………………..……..………….. 21 Big Increases and Big Declines in Attendance in 2014……………………………………………………………. 22 The Economy and Major League Attendance. Era of Multi-Purpose Stadiums is Ending……………………. 23 Average Attendance per Home Date………………………………………………………………………………… 24 Interleague Games Attendance……………………………………………………………………………………… 25 Consecutive Game Sellout Streaks in Baseball and Other Sports……….……………………………………… 26-27 Attendance in the Final Season of a Ballpark. Fastest to 50 Million in a New Park………………………….. 28 Total Attendance in the History of Each Current Major League Ballpark…………………………….………….. 29 1993-2014 Cumulative Attendance by Team, with High and Low Season Totals Since 1993………………... 30 Attendance Growth: 2000-2009 vs. 1990-1999. 2010-2014 vs. 2000-2009…………………………………… 31 Attendance Changes: 2014 vs. 2000, 2002, 2007…………………………………………………………………. 32 Attendance Trends in other Sports………………………………………………………………………………….. 33-40 Individual Team Attendance Leaders in Baseball and Other Sports…………………………………………….. 41-43 10, 20, 30, 40 Year Attendance Growth for North American Sports Leagues………………………………….. 44-46 League and Team Season Attendance Records in Baseball and Other Sports………………………………… 47-48 Single Game Attendance Records in Baseball and Other Sports………………………………………………… 49 Comparison of Each Team’s Annual Attendance with the Annual MLB Average Attendance per Team…….. 50-51 AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAM 2014 ATTENDANCE SUMMARIES AND HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS New York Yankees……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 52-60 Boston Red Sox………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 61-64 Tampa Bay Rays……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 65-66 Minnesota Twins………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 66-68 Cleveland Indians…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 68-69 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2014 ATTENDANCE ANALYSIS TABLE OF CONTENTS - continued PAGES AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAM 2014 ATTENDANCE SUMMARIES AND HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS – cont. Kansas City Royals……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 70 Chicago White Sox……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 71 Detroit Tigers………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 72-73 Houston Astros………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 74-75 Baltimore Orioles……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 76-77 Texas Rangers…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 78 Los Angeles Angels……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 79 Oakland Athletics………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 80 Toronto Blue Jays……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 81 Seattle Mariners……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 82 NATIONAL LEAGUE TEAM 2014 ATTENDANCE SUMMARIES AND HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS Los Angeles Dodgers – Includes Yankees and Dodgers Attendance Summary – 1947-1966………………... 83-93 Philadelphia Phillies……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 94-96 San Francisco Giants………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 97-99 Atlanta Braves………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 100-101 Arizona Diamondbacks…………….………………………………………………………………………………….. 102 Pittsburgh Pirates………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 103-104 San Diego Padres. About those ‘Yogisms’………………………………………………………………………… 105-106 New York Mets…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 107-108 Chicago Cubs………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 109-110 St. Louis Cardinals…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 111-112 Colorado Rockies……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 113-114 Cincinnati Reds………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 115-116 Miami Marlins…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 116-117 Milwaukee Brewers……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 118-119 Washington Nationals…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 120-121 MLB Team Season Records for Total Attendance and Average Attendance per Date………………………… 122 Individual Teams – Single Home Date Attendance Records in Current and Former Parks…………………… 123 Big Attendance Declines and Increases by Teams the Year After Playing in the World Series……………… 124-125 Attendance the Year After a World Series Appearance by Teams in ‘Two-Team’ Markets…………………… 126 Attendance in New Ballparks, Baseball’s Worst Attendance Years………………………………………………. 127 Teams with: Worst Yearly Attendance - Winning Record; Best Yearly Attendance - Losing Record……….. 128-129 Smallest Single Game Attendance in Major and Minor League History…………………………………………. 129 Largest Team Season Total Attendance Increases and Declines in Major League History…………………… 130-133 Frequency of Increases and Decreases of at Least 500,000 – by Team 134 Teams with Consecutive Seasons of Either a 500,000+ Increase or a 500,000+ Decrease in Attendance…. 135 Biggest Gains and Losses in Average Attendance per Date……………………………………………………… 136-139 Gains and Declines in Attendance for Teams in Their Second Year in a Ballpark……………………………… 140-142 2015 Seating Capacity, and Best and Worst Season Attendance at Current Major League Parks…………... 143 Biggest Gains and Losses by First-Place Teams………………………………………………………………….. 144 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2014 ATTENDANCE ANALYSIS TABLE OF CONTENTS - continued PAGES Attendance Changes for Teams that Relocated to New Cities…..................................................................... 145 Attendance for Teams that Won or Lost 100 Games, and for Teams with Big Won/Loss Record Changes... 146-149 All-Star Game and Post-Season Attendance Records……………….……………………………………………. 150-152 Attendance at the First Night Games of the Original 16 Major League Teams…………………………………. 153 Night Game vs. Day Game Attendance – 1935-1950. Percentage of Dates Played at Night……………….. 154 Individual Team – Night Game Attendance Highlights – 1935-1950……………………………………………... 155-158 Number of Night Games in the First Season for Teams who Began Play After 1950…………………………. 158 1946 – Major League Baseball’s Greatest Year of Attendance Growth………………………………………….. 159 Attendance in Multi-Team Markets – Past and Present………………..………………………………………….. 160-164 2014 Attendance vs. 1993 – The Last Full Season Prior to the 1994-95 Work Stoppage……………………... 165-166 Total and Average Attendance per Date – Yearly Figures by League – 1900-2014……………………………. 167-171 Major League Total Attendance Milestones……………………………….………………………………………… 172 Teams with the Highest and Lowest Attendance by League - Each Year Since 1900...………………………. 173-175 Each Decade’s Attendance Totals (1900-2014) - by League…….………….…………………………………… 176 Individual Team ‘First to Reach’ Milestones, Number of Teams Reaching Various Attendance Levels……... 177 Average Attendance per Date – Firsts, Lasts, and Season Streaks……………………………………………... 178-179 Number of Seasons that Each Team had the Best or Worst Attendance in its League……………………….. 180 The Teams that Drew Best and Worst in Each Decade Since 1900……………………………………..………. 181 10 Highest Team Season Totals in Each League, Yearly Team Highs and Lows for Each Decade…..…….. 182 A Look Back at 1961 and 1962, Major League Baseball’s First Expansion Seasons………………………….. 183-185 “First Licks” and “Last Licks” – Attendance at the First and Last Games at Various Ballparks……………….. 186-187 Pre-1900 Attendance Records. List of Teams that Set A.L. and N.L. Record-High Season Attendance…… 188 Baseball Attendance in Japan and Korea. Winter League Attendance in Mexico and Australia…………….. 189 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2014 ATTENDANCE ANALYSIS This report is a comprehensive analysis of Major League Baseball Attendance for 2014, and throughout Major League history. Highlights of this report include: An overview and analysis of Major League attendance for 2014 and recent seasons. League and team-by-team analysis, highlights, and historical data. How attendance has been affected by: pennant winning seasons; team relocations; new ballparks; World Series winners in two-team markets. The economy and baseball attendance. It includes recent attendance trends in other sports. Multi-team market trends (New York, Chicago, San Francisco/Oakland, and Los Angeles). How 2014 attendance compares with attendance just prior to the 1994 shutdown. Major League attendance history and analysis since 1900. Includes a yearly listing of total attendance and average attendance per date for both leagues. Biggest team attendance increases and declines in Major League history. “First Licks” and “Last Licks” – Attendance at the first and last games at Major League ballparks. Best and worst season attendance at current ballparks. Analysis of attendance changes in a ballpark’s second season.