Wins On The Field Don't Fill The Seats

Clearly, we here at BYB along with you are excited about what we are seeing on the field.  With an incredible record for the month of April, a number of come from behind wins and a positive disposition among players and coaches, the Yankees are exhibiting the early traits of a winning team that could go the distance. But despite the wins on the field, the seats are recognizably unfilled for a number of home games including this weekend’s series against the Orioles.

“It does take a little time,” Levine said. “This (2017) team has surprised a lot of people. There’s now a buzz, it’s starting to catch fire,” reported The New York Post on Tuesday.  But as fan @JayBilly2 reported from the Stadium’s bleachers on Sunday, “the place seemed empty, even for a weekend. Yet, even though I didn’t pay for the tickets, between food and parking, I must have dropped $200.” So, cost and an uncertainty around this year’s team with veterans leaving or retiring, the fans are taking games in by way of other means- live streaming, television, or just catching up on the box scores and recaps.

Attendance declines, particularly at the beginning of the season when weather plays a big role in the eastern part of the US, are not a new trend. In fact, a 2015 Time Magazine article provided further insight into the demise of live baseball audiences.  “The consensus has it that the future success of the game—and pro baseball as a product—is in dire jeopardy because young people aren’t interested in playing, or even watching, the game.”  Other reasons, according to Time, include, cost of attending games and arriving early for batting practice which costs more money because you are simply at the ball park longer or worse, they charge you more for the “Fan Experience.”  Still other reasons include the length of the game, not a lot of scoring (although some ball parks have shortened fences to fix this problem) and the sport is aging, primarily white and the majority men.

We know it is a national problem- declining attendance that is.  But with the Yankees, it may just be a blip as fans get used to the new players on this young team.  ”Yankees president Randy Levine said Tuesday he’s not worried about the relatively small numbers so far this year and predicted the team would finish 2017 with better attendance than last season.” And this my very well be, but if you want to experience something special this season, heading out to the Stadium to see the likes of our growing talent of Aaron Judge, Jordan Montgomery and Gary Sanchez, may be worth the price of admission and then some.  Meet you at the ball park this summer, folks?  I know we will be there to fill some of those seats and make some new memories with this magical team of new talent.