MLB Attendance is Saddening

One cannot help but notice just how sparse some of the attendance has been this year in Major League Baseball. Most teams see a drastic drop in attendance after their opening series, especially teams that are not necessarily expected to compete (sorry Pirates, Reds, and Blue Jays). This can largely be attributed to the state of the economy, however most teams continue to raise ticket prices without offering many enticing deals. I don't quite understand why MLB Organizations find that they need to charge ridiculous prices for seats in the lower level.

Here are some prices for good seats at a handful of stadiums:

New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium, Field Box Lower Level: $300-$375
Colorado Rockies, Coors Field, Infield Box Lower Level: $47-$100
Chicago White Sox, U.S. Cellular Field, Premium Lower Level: $53-$70

Just to name a few...

One team, the New York Yankees, has really been under the microscope already early into the 2009 season. Specifically, their lack of filling up their most expensive seats, which are being sold for about to $2,500 per ticket. One would think, from a managerial standpoint, that the Yankees would want these seats to be full for each game. Well, they are not, and it looks terrible. This is supposed to be America's representation of a baseball team, with all of the pride and glory surrounding the Yankee franchise, the best seats in the house should not be the empty ones. Major League Baseball cannot be happy with this situation, and nor should they. However, is this a result of greed, or did the Yankees just underestimate not only the economic climate this year, but the public's willingness to buy high end tickets for astronomical prices? Just something to ponder...

Meanwhile, there are currently 8 teams averaging under 50% attendance for home games so far this season. Of those teams, Toronto, the best team in baseball, is averaging 40% per game. How does that happen, even if it is Canada? If winning doesn't put the fans in the stands, then I don't know what will. Granted, it is not technically summer yet, and attendance typically grows during June thru August. But I think the attendance issue is something to take notice of, and a growing issue that is affecting our nation's pastime.

Wisconsin Sport Tidbits -

- The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (new Brewers Low-A Affiliate) played a "Border Battle" at Miller Park versus Midwest League rival and Cub's affiliate Peoria Chiefs. The Rattlers win 5-3 in front of 17,000+. This is a great investment by the Brewers to showcase their organization's talent on a more local level.

- Unless you live in a cave, you're aware the Green Bay Packers had what has been called an excellent draft this past weekend. ESPN's Mel Kiper gave the Packers a grade of an "A", the only one of the entire draft. Other than the 1st round, most fans are not aware of the players the Packers drafted, I will talk about rookie progress in an OTA article coming soon.