As summer continues its gradual metamorphosis into autumn, the complete playoff picture in Major League Baseball is slowly beginning to take shape. And no collection of fans should be more enthusiastic than those of teams slated to take the diamond well into October.
In the American League, the Minnesota Twins clinched the Central Division with ten games to spare all while interjecting themselves into the race for home-field advantage, which once appeared to be a two-team competition between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Speaking of the Rays and Yankees, who have been neck-and-neck for the past several weeks, it’s a virtual guarantee that one of the two will lay claim to the American League East Title, with the second-place finisher taking home the consolation prize in the form of the AL Wild Card. Meanwhile, in the AL West, the Texas Rangers’ magic number to clinch the division stands at 2 entering Saturday’s action.
Over in the National League, the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies, barring any major collapses, have the NL Central and the NL East locked up respectively as the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants take turns being leaders in the NL West on a daily basis.
The National League Wild Card race is equally as tight as the NL West with the Padres a half game ahead of the Atlanta Braves and four games up on the fading Colorado Rockies.
So with all of the aforementioned teams in the thick of the playoff hunt, it would seem logical to conclude that fans of these clubs are coming out to the stadiums in droves to show their appreciation and support. This isn’t necessarily the case.
Although the numbers at the gate have been down compared to recent years, for the fourth time in five years the New York Yankees will rank first in average home attendance at the end of the season. In addition, for the fifth consecutive season, the Yankees will rank in the top ten in home attendance percentage (average attendance/stadium capacity).
This season, the only other teams among playoff contenders to rival the Yankees’ success are the Giants, the Phillies and the Twins, who also rank in the top ten in average home attendance and home attendance percentage.
However, Cincinnati, San Diego and Tampa Bay rank in the bottom half of baseball at the box office. And surprisingly, the Rays, owners of the best record in the American League, place in MLB’s bottom quarter this season in both of the aforementioned categories.
In addition, gate results for playoff pretenders like the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels and the St. Louis Cardinals have been much more favorable than for teams such as the Braves, the Rangers and the Rockies, who arguably weren’t expected to be a significant factor at this point in the season.
So are these enlightening statistics a product of how the recession has impacted differing regions of the United States or merely a function of the importance of baseball in various cities and states in the wake of the Steroid Era?
The jury is still out on these issues but the certainty here is that the Giants, the Phillies, the Twins and the Yankees will especially appreciate the friendly confines of their home stadiums this postseason, where their respective fan support will be taken to an entirely new level.
Will the same be said for the Padres, the Rangers, the Reds and the Rays in a couple of weeks? If it can’t, the fans of these teams will only have themselves to blame when talented free agents bolt for greener pastures or decide against bringing their services into town.
2010 MLB Average Home Attendance
1. New York Yankees – 46,418
2. Philadelphia Phillies – 45,021
3. Los Angeles Dodgers – 44,175
4. St. Louis Cardinals – 40,961
5. Los Angeles Angels – 40,060
6. Minnesota Twins – 39,783
7. Chicago Cubs – 37,792
8. Boston Red Sox – 37,614
9. San Francisco Giants – 37,288
10. Colorado Rockies – 35,992
2010 MLB Home Attendance Percentage
1. Philadelphia Phillies – 103.5%
2. Boston Red Sox – 100.9%
3. Minnesota Twins – 100.7%
4. Chicago Cubs – 91.9%
5. San Francisco Giants – 89.8%
6. Los Angeles Angels – 88.9%
7. New York Yankees – 88.7%
8. St. Louis Cardinals – 87.4%
9. Milwaukee Brewers – 81.0%
10. Los Angeles Dodgers – 78.9%
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NY Yankees remain MLB gold standard in fan support
