Attendance 2015

[caulfield12]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance

 

28th after 14 home games. Sure the FO was hoping for better. Yeah, yeah, weather, Bulls, Blackhawks, school's in session, etc.

 

Fwiw, Minnesota fans haven't weathered four seasons of losing up there very well, despite their team being off to a very surprising start.

Unless Houston falls off dramatically, the best we can probably expect for the season is 24th.

 

Maybe Arizona or Pittsburgh declines as well, but in all likelihood we're headed for 24th/25th again. The slow start is going to depress numbers in the early summer unless we start making an extended run right about now.

Edited May 11, 2015 by caulfield12

[bmags]

General gripes below:

 

I used to ban going to games in April.

 

This year I was so excited I had the bulk of my tickets last month and Friday.

 

I have yet to see a win in person (was at Royals suspended play portion of game), and it has been truly miserable weather in all except opening day. All in winter gear getting rained on.

 

So, point is, "yeah weather", having now been to a respectable amt. in April, I will never frontload tickets again.

 

Also - I had not print out my tickets for Friday, and the box office had no idea how to get me proof to show real box office that I had tickets (can't manage past tickets). Strange to me that something as simple as a rain delay was difficult to figure out.

[SCCWS]

Sox are in no danger of moving. They'll draw 20,000 to 25000 on the average this year, so why fret? If the team ever gets good again people will come. That is assured. As long as the Sox want to remain this weird dysfunctional baseball team, Jeckyll/Hyde if you will, screw 'em. They'll still make money with the TV deal and the 20000 to 25,000 average attendance.

 

I actually wonder if winning will solve the problem. The White Sox have been a losing team but they have 2 of the top stars of the game in Abreu and Sale. Now obviously Sale only goes every 5th day but last year Abreu was a stud and yet attendance declined. Good news is attendance is up a few thousand this year but they are still one of the worst drawing teams in baseball.

 

[fathom]

I actually wonder if winning will solve the problem. The White Sox have been a losing team but they have 2 of the top stars of the game in Abreu and Sale. Now obviously Sale only goes every 5th day but last year Abreu was a stud and yet attendance declined. Good news is attendance is up a few thousand this year but they are still one of the worst drawing teams in baseball.

 

They had the superstars last year, but they didn't win enough to get fans interested. I really think with the buzz they had going into the year, if they would have got off to a good start, attendance would have increased by a lot. I actually do think the Bulls/Hawks games going on at the same time does have a significant impact on attendance.

[fathom]

For comparison, attendance was up about 2,500 from last year's Saturday/Sunday of Mother's Day weekend.

[greg775]

I actually wonder if winning will solve the problem. The White Sox have been a losing team but they have 2 of the top stars of the game in Abreu and Sale. Now obviously Sale only goes every 5th day but last year Abreu was a stud and yet attendance declined. Good news is attendance is up a few thousand this year but they are still one of the worst drawing teams in baseball.

Abreu and Sale are awesome, but the team blows. Remember all those horrible home games last year when people in the game threads lamented the poor fans who had to watch so many of those awful games. If I lived in Chicago I'd want to see Abreu in person maybe 3 times a year regardless of how bad the team was. If the team was good, I'd want to see him a lot.

[caulfield12]

They had the superstars last year, but they didn't win enough to get fans interested. I really think with the buzz they had going into the year, if they would have got off to a good start, attendance would have increased by a lot. I actually do think the Bulls/Hawks games going on at the same time does have a significant impact on attendance.

 

 

Plus you wouldn't even know the White Sox exist in the media because of the presence of Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Soler, Maddon, etc.

 

The Cubs got off to a pretty good start and soaked up 90% of the available local attention.

[spiderman]

Either the White Sox don't have enough fans to regularly fill the park, or they aren't good fans (insert excuse here for not attending games).

 

I try to go 3 or 4 times a season, probably won't be out there until early June this year, but it's an tiring debate. I do think the front-office tries to win each season, and don't think they can rebuild with a fickle fan base, but I'm wondering, should this season go down the tubes, why not do a Cubs type rebuild? Fans don't show up either way.

[Andy the Clown]

Sox should move to Montreal. They would be adored there -- even with our current management.

[Thad Bosley]

Either the White Sox don't have enough fans to regularly fill the park, or they aren't good fans (insert excuse here for not attending games).

 

I try to go 3 or 4 times a season, probably won't be out there until early June this year, but it's an tiring debate. I do think the front-office tries to win each season, and don't think they can rebuild with a fickle fan base, but I'm wondering, should this season go down the tubes, why not do a Cubs type rebuild? Fans don't show up either way.

It is neither a fickle fan base nor one comprising fans that aren't good. It is a base of human beings essentially giving as good as they get. And for White Sox fans, unfortunately we just haven't gotten a product over the course of a very long time now worth supporting at a level that will fill our ballpark on a routine basis.

 

Do you know that since the advent of the current divisional structure in the mid 90s, the Cleveland Indians have gone on a run where they won the Central division five times in a row? Or that the Detroit Tigers are on a current run of winning the division four times in a row? And the Minnesota Twins did it three years in a row? Even the once lowly Kansas City Royals - if they make it to the playoffs this year, that will leave only one team in the Central who hasn't made consecutive playoff appearances since 1995 - US!! The Chicago White Sox who, interestingly, are the only big market team of the bunch.

 

I bring these comparisons forward to illustrate the kind of accomplishments our competitors are achieving but for which the Sox never get close to achieving. This is the root cause of the attendance problems - the lack of winning. And so this occasional slamming of the fans around here when talking about attendance is really, IMO, so very misguided. The team just hasn't won enough over the years to generate the kind of interest needed to draw well. Start winning, and you'll eventually start drawing. It's that simple.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Thad Bosley

[southsider2k5]

It is neither a fickle fan base nor one comprising fans that aren't good. It is a base of human beings essentially giving as good as they get. And for White Sox fans, unfortunately we just haven't gotten a product over the course of a very long time now worth supporting at a level that will fill our ballpark on a routine basis.

 

Do you know that since the advent of the current divisional structure in the mid 90s, the Cleveland Indians have gone on a run where they won the Central division five times in a row? Or that the Detroit Tigers are on a current run of winning the division four times in a row? And the Minnesota Twins did it three years in a row? Even the once lowly Kansas City Royals - if they make it to the playoffs this year, that will leave only one team in the Central who hasn't made consecutive playoff appearances since 1995 - US!! The Chicago White Sox who, interestingly, are the only big market team of the bunch.

 

I bring these comparisons forward to illustrate the kind of accomplishments our competitors are achieving but for which the Sox never get close to achieving. This is the root cause of the attendance problems - the lack of winning. And so this occasional slamming of the fans around here when talking about attendance is really, IMO, so very misguided. The team just hasn't won enough over the years to generate the kind of interest needed to draw well. Start winning, and you'll eventually start drawing. It's that simple.

 

Hey great speech, now welcome back to reality.

 

Reality is that the White Sox will always be limited by their fan base. It is the reason why our rebuild is rushed as soon as reasons for any optimism can be found.

 

Even the Cubs after six years of perpetual sucktitude were outdrawing the White Sox by 12,000 a night. Even in 2006 after a World Series title we drew 3000 a night less than the Cubs.

 

It gives them resources that the White Sox will never have. It allows them flexibility that the White Sox will never have. Even after a playoff year, and after a very near playoff year, attendance fell. If that is what being a non-fickle and not compromising fan is, then you should also have the intelligence to understand that this organization will always have a hand tied its back when compared to most of the rest of baseball. You can't have it both ways. It means periods of success will be shorter because they won't have the resources to hold the team together that others will. It means that recoveries will be shorter, and less robust, as they can't devote the time needed to full rebuilds that others can. It means there will be choices made between spending in the majors and in the minors because both can't be afforded.

 

It isn't slamming fans. It is reality.

[caulfield12]

Hey great speech, now welcome back to reality.

 

Reality is that the White Sox will always be limited by their fan base. It is the reason why our rebuild is rushed as soon as reasons for any optimism can be found.

 

Even the Cubs after six years of perpetual sucktitude were outdrawing the White Sox by 12,000 a night. Even in 2006 after a World Series title we drew 3000 a night less than the Cubs.

 

It gives them resources that the White Sox will never have. It allows them flexibility that the White Sox will never have. Even after a playoff year, and after a very near playoff year, attendance fell. If that is what being a non-fickle and not compromising fan is, then you should also have the intelligence to understand that this organization will always have a hand tied its back when compared to most of the rest of baseball. You can't have it both ways. It means periods of success will be shorter because they won't have the resources to hold the team together that others will. It means that recoveries will be shorter, and less robust, as they can't devote the time needed to full rebuilds that others can. It means there will be choices made between spending in the majors and in the minors because both can't be afforded.

 

It isn't slamming fans. It is reality.

 

 

2006 (second half), 2007 and 2009 hurt as much as the strike because that was their window to take advantage of the momentum gained through 2005.

 

Sox fans began to lose faith. Borchard, Anderson, Fields and Quentin...not to mention Floyd, Danks and eventually Beckham, all ended up disappointments. Peavy and Rios got a lot of publicity but were inconsistent at best.

 

While Sale and Abreu have kept the franchise alive and relevant, they haven't played well together as a full team or unit for three years now. Plus, we have been absolutely dominated by the Tigers and Royals when the games really mattered in second halfs. What franchises have fans to overlook that? Minnesota. Cleveland. Seattle. Toronto. Arizona. Colorado. All those teams are in similar boats with the White Sox. Oakland, too. Pittsburgh and Cincy. Atlanta...although they have the new stadium. TB.

 

Not every team has a fanbase like St. Louis, the Cubs or Milwaukee. Detoit's also an anomaly due to Illitch's spending. We are literally surrounded by four outliers.

 

Houston made the right move....they suffered historical bad seasons, tv and radio disasters, eventual bankruptcy of the network, Appel over Bryant, Brady Aiken, Singleton...and have still emerged whole on the other side by sticking to their plan no matter what.

Edited May 12, 2015 by caulfield12

[southsider2k5]

2006 (second half), 2007 and 2009 hurt as much as the strike because that was their window to take advantage of the momentum gained through 2005.

 

Sox fans began to lose faith. Borchard, Anderson, Fields and Quentin...not to mention Floyd, Danks and eventually Beckham, all ended up disappointments. Peavy and Rios got a lot of publicity but were inconsistent at best.

 

While Sale and Abreu have kept the franchise alive and relevant, they haven't played well together as a full team or unit for three years now. Plus, we have been absolutely dominated by the Tigers and Royals when the games really mattered in second halfs. What franchises have fans to overlook that? Minnesota. Cleveland. Seattle. Toronto. Arizona. Colorado. All those teams are in similar boats with the White Sox. Oakland, too. Pittsburgh and Cincy. Atlanta...although they have the new stadium. TB.

 

Not every team has a fanbase like St. Louis, the Cubs or Milwaukee. Detoit's also an anomaly due to Illitch's spending. We are literally surrounded by four outliers.

 

Houston made the right move....they suffered historical bad seasons, tv and radio disasters, eventual bankruptcy of the network, Appel over Bryant, Brady Aiken, Singleton...and have still emerged whole on the other side by sticking to their plan no matter what.

 

Houston also has the 4th largest media market entirely to themselves, along with a gigantic TV contract.

[Thad Bosley]

Hey great speech, now welcome back to reality.

 

Reality is that the White Sox will always be limited by their fan base. It is the reason why our rebuild is rushed as soon as reasons for any optimism can be found.

 

Even the Cubs after six years of perpetual sucktitude were outdrawing the White Sox by 12,000 a night. Even in 2006 after a World Series title we drew 3000 a night less than the Cubs.

 

It gives them resources that the White Sox will never have. It allows them flexibility that the White Sox will never have. Even after a playoff year, and after a very near playoff year, attendance fell. If that is what being a non-fickle and not compromising fan is, then you should also have the intelligence to understand that this organization will always have a hand tied its back when compared to most of the rest of baseball. You can't have it both ways. It means periods of success will be shorter because they won't have the resources to hold the team together that others will. It means that recoveries will be shorter, and less robust, as they can't devote the time needed to full rebuilds that others can. It means there will be choices made between spending in the majors and in the minors because both can't be afforded.

 

It isn't slamming fans. It is reality.

Hey, great speech, now welcome back to the point I was trying to make.

 

Let's try some sustained winning by this organization for a change and see if that doesn't help cure what ails us. We haven't seen it in our lifetimes, of course, but I believe it can and it will. The "reality" is our fan base responds remarkably well to winning. Just look at how that one year of real winning we had in '05 brought a waiting list for season tickets the following year, and almost three million fans through the turnstiles to boot. Nothing fickle or compromising about that. And I can only imagine what the attendance would have been like during the next three or four years subsequent had the team gone on a run and continued to win the division, like the Indians, Tigers, and Twins have somehow managed to do since the Central came into being. You start winning at that clip and then all of a sudden the park is routinely inhabited by 2.8, 2.9 million fans, just like in '06. And then all of these superficial arguments about hands being tied behind the back and lack of resources and irrelevantly comparing us to the Cubs go away. That mindset coming up with those excuses is completely borne of this lifelong lack of a winning culture of which I speak.

 

Simply put - I want reality to be about more winning. Period. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Thad Bosley

[southsider2k5]

Hey, great speech, now welcome back to the point I was trying to make.

 

Let's try some sustained winning by this organization for a change and see if that doesn't help cure what ails us. We haven't seen it in our lifetimes, of course, but I believe it can and it will. The "reality" is our fan base responds remarkably well to winning. Just look at how that one year of real winning we had in '05 brought a waiting list for season tickets the following year, and almost three million fans through the turnstiles to boot. Nothing fickle or compromising about that. And I can only imagine what the attendance would have been like during the next three or four years subsequent had the team gone on a run and continued to win the division, like the Indians, Tigers, and Twins have somehow managed to do since the Central came into being. You start winning at that clip and then all of a sudden the park is routinely inhabited by 2.8, 2.9 million fans, just like in '06. And then all of these superficial arguments about hands being tied behind the back and lack of resources and irrelevantly comparing us to the Cubs go away. That loser mindset coming up with those excuses is completely borne of this lifelong lack of a winning culture of which I speak.

 

Simply put - I want reality to be about more winning. Period. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

 

I literally lol'd at this statement. White Sox fans are the king of excuses. Your last two posts have quite literally been two long lists of excuses for fans.

 

The White Sox were something like the second most winning team in the 90's and the 7th most winning team in the 2000's. The White Sox won 99 and 90 games in back to back seasons, attendance fell after the second year. The last time the White Sox were in the playoffs, attendance fell the next year. A few years back when the Sox spent all but 5 days of the season in first place, attendance fell.

 

Tell me again about winning curing all?

[Balta1701]

I literally lol'd at this statement. White Sox fans are the king of excuses. Your last two posts have quite literally been two long lists of excuses for fans.

 

The White Sox were something like the second most winning team in the 90's and the 7th most winning team in the 2000's. The White Sox won 99 and 90 games in back to back seasons, attendance fell after the second year. The last time the White Sox were in the playoffs, attendance fell the next year. A few years back when the Sox spent all but 5 days of the season in first place, attendance fell.

 

Tell me again about winning curing all?

Man that's some spin. Yes attendance dropped after a 90 win season, because they missed the playoffs and then won 70 the next year.

 

And they have a 45% winning percentage in the 2010s. So maybe try fixing that.

[southsider2k5]

Man that's some spin. Yes attendance dropped after a 90 win season, because they missed the playoffs and then won 70 the next year.

 

And they have a 45% winning percentage in the 2010s. So maybe try fixing that.

 

Pretty much the only way Sox fans show up is if the team won the World Series last year. Yeah, that isn't fickle or anything.

[Balta1701]

Pretty much the only way Sox fans show up is if the team won the World Series last year. Yeah, that isn't fickle or anything.

They've endured 4 losing seasons in 5 years now with incredibly bad baseball to boot.

[LDF]

I literally lol'd at this statement. White Sox fans are the king of excuses. Your last two posts have quite literally been two long lists of excuses for fans.

 

The White Sox were something like the second most winning team in the 90's and the 7th most winning team in the 2000's. The White Sox won 99 and 90 games in back to back seasons, attendance fell after the second year. The last time the White Sox were in the playoffs, attendance fell the next year. A few years back when the Sox spent all but 5 days of the season in first place, attendance fell.

 

Tell me again about winning curing all?

 

i can't talk about the recent seasons, but i can answer for the 90's. the fans came out, but many and i do mean many fans didn't think the owners did enuf to endear them to the fans. meaning getting that final piece.... believe me. i went to several owner's meeting with the fans. the biggest gripe at that time was the fans felt betrayed, they felt the owners only did enuf to satisfy the fans for the season tickets, not to get that extra player to win it all.

 

the sox need to really go all out, get the necessary players to win it all, plus a personable player or 3, and the fans will come out. these little promo on what the 2.95 a ticket. the fans don't care about little promo toys, give some money discount tickets. get to the heart of the working person, financial relief.

 

if this team does not turn it around, this summer will be a horrible summer and then the owners will again blame the fans for the attendance. they do not take accountability factor for themselves, why should they, when was the last time they said it was their fault?

[Thad Bosley]

I literally lol'd at this statement. White Sox fans are the king of excuses. Your last two posts have quite literally been two long lists of excuses for fans.

 

The White Sox were something like the second most winning team in the 90's and the 7th most winning team in the 2000's. The White Sox won 99 and 90 games in back to back seasons, attendance fell after the second year. The last time the White Sox were in the playoffs, attendance fell the next year. A few years back when the Sox spent all but 5 days of the season in first place, attendance fell.

 

Tell me again about winning curing all?

"Winning team" doesn't mean just counting the number of wins that our many second place finishes have garnered for us. Winning team means one that makes the playoffs. We did that only once in the '90s, and just twice in the last 15 years under the Reinsdorf/Wiliams/Hahn management team.

[southsider2k5]

"Winning team" doesn't mean just counting the number of wins that our many second place finishes have garnered for us. Winning team means one that makes the playoffs. We did that only once in the '90s, and just twice in the last 15 years under the Reinsdorf/Wiliams/Hahn management team.

 

Again, the last time the team made the playoffs, attendance fell, both that season, and the year after.

[caulfield12]

Again, the last time the team made the playoffs, attendance fell, both that season, and the year after.

 

If Carlos Quentin wins MVP, doesnt get hurt and they arent wiped out by the Rays in easy fashion...then 2009 is a totally different story.

 

Once CQ was out, it was just survival mode.

 

I dont think even the most optimistic Sox fans expected a different result in the Dome with the way the Rays played that season.

[flavum]

Sox should move to Montreal. They would be adored there -- even with our current management.

 

Havana, 2030

[caulfield12]

Again, the last time the team made the playoffs, attendance fell, both that season, and the year after.

 

With how disappointing Peavy and Rios were...why would fans have had a right to be optimistic heading into 2010?

 

For Gordon Beckham alone...well, he really fell off in the second half aand struggled to make .270.

[WBWSF]

I'LL say it again. Bad teams + bad stadium location + bad stadium upper deck= BAD ATTENDANCE. Considering everything I'm convinced that if the White Sox draw 2 million people a year, they've done well. Anything above 2 million is a bonus.

Edited May 13, 2015 by WBWSF