Despite the poor attendance early this season the Senators continue to win, having won 4 in a row and 6 of their last 7 games. They currently sit alone atop the Eastern Leagues Southern Division with a 12-5 record with a 4 game lead. Harrisburg ranks 2nd in the EL with a .706 win percentage, only Portland’s .765 is better.
Last nights attendance was only 797. That brings the total attendance for the season 15,097. Average attendance per game is 1509 which is last place in the Eastern League.
To gauge the severity of the Senators attendance issues lets take a look at the entire Double-A to see how Harrisburg matches up, both in attendance and standings.
There are 3 different Double-A Leagues in the minors, of course we have the Eastern league which has 12 teams, the Southern League is made up of 10 teams, and the Texas League has the fewest teams with only 8. That is a total of 30 teams. Harrisburg currently ranks 4th with a .706 win percentage among all of Double-A. The only teams with a better win percentage then the Senators are Portland .765 (EL), Frisco .765 (TX) and Carolina .722 (SOU). Of those teams, Harrisburg has the longest winning streak of 4 games (all 4 wins coming at home).
Of the 30 Double-A teams, the Senators rank 27th with 15,097 in total home game attendance. The three teams with lower attendance this season are: Erie (EL) with 10,998 in 6 games, Huntsville (SOU) with 14,489 in 9 games, and West Tenn with 11,688 in only 8 games. Those 3 teams have all played fewer games at home then the Senators have this season.
Of the 30 Double-A teams, Harrisburg ranks 29th overall in average attendance per game with 1509. The only team with a worse average per game attendance is West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in the Southern League with 1461 in only 8 home openings (compared to Harrisburg’s 10 home games).
Has poor weather contributed to the lack of attendance? In looking at the other 29 double-A teams, they are spread all across the country in different climates. Some of the teams are located in cooler places, some warmer, some have more wet conditions and others are dry. While I think weather has affected attendance a little I’m not so sure it is the key factor. But I’m not sure what the key factor is. Other teams have faced poor weather conditions too and have still managed to bring in bigger crowds then Harrisburg.
Is it the outdated facility? Rumors continue to swirl about a new stadium opening to start the 2009 season. The big question is, if you build it will they (fans) come? Initially, I think attendance will increase with a new stadium. Will they still come after the newness wears off is the big question.
Good Team? We have one!!! Actually we have one of the best teams in all of Double-A (winning percentage wise). We have a mix of solid veterans and a few prospects that are playing good ball. They are one of the best teams I’ve seen as far as moving runners into scoring position and then actually scoring runs. They play exciting baseball. The fans that have attended Senators games this season are seeing a quality team. This is the best team I’ve seen on City Island in recent memory (at least so far this season, things could always change). Harrisburg has had poor teams over the past few seasons but managed to get more fans to attend. Why is that? I’m not sure I have an answer.
Big Market vs. Small Market? Again, looking at all the Double-A teams there is a mix of small and big market teams and again they managed to get people to attend games.
At this point, I’m not sure why Harrisburg is having problems getting fans to attend games. Feel free to discuss this topic. I would be curious as to what you think is causing Harrisburg's low attendance.
All statistics are via MiLB.com (standings and attendance records). Statistics are accurate as of 4/22/08, prior to the games scheduled for that day.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Attendance: Where Have The Fans Gone.......
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2 comments:
Like you have eluded to, there is no clear reason for the decline, but I would put stock in these (in oredr);
1. Lack of action on a new stadium. They have been talking about it since 2001. It seems that every city and community in the state has gotten money for a new facility but Harrisburg. Thanks Gov. Rendell. The amenities have got to be improved. I've seen better scoreboards at high schools. Better food at a hospital. People are tired of waiting. New stadiums in York, Lancaster, Altoona, Lehigh Valley, State College, improvements in Reading. Who wants to go sit on cold uncomfortable metal bleacher spitting may flies out every few seconds.
2. The lack of PR from the new ownership. Before, you knew the city owned it and vanDer Waulde was in charge. Other than the day the team was sold, I don't think I have heard from the ownership once. Get out of Chicago (or wherever) and let's hear from you, see that you care about the community, and that this is not just a tax right off for you.(yea right?)
3. Entertainment. Now trust me when I say that I go to a game for the game. But in this day and age 75% of your fans are looking for the extras. The between inning features. The challenge is that Harrisburg is still doing the same stuff they were ten years ago. Sumo wrestling is fun the first two or three times you see it, but then... You have to continue to change.
4. PR part two. I have seen and heard more promotion and support of Harrisburg out of the Nationals than I have out of the Senators.
That's enough for now.
I will try to address your statements as best I can.
1.) From what I’ve heard over the last week plans for a new stadium are still going forward. Nothing official has been released by the Harrisburg Senators and I have not confirmed any of this with them. There are rumblings that monies will be available for a new stadium and engineers have been visiting Commerce Bank Park over the last two weeks. Again, this has not been confirmed and the sources are semi-reliable at best. For what it’s worth it seems as though there is a lot going on behind the scenes. But will a new stadium bring in bigger crowds long term? I’m not convinced it will. Oh, mayflies will always be an issue unless they build a dome. They come with the territory (on an island in the middle of a river).
2.) The Senators owners are not local and they have several other business ventures which may keep them from being here all the time. I can honestly tell you that they have been in Harrisburg and have been to games, just not always visible to the public. When the team was owned by the City of Harrisburg, Mayor Reed was always at games and easily accessible to the fans. As for GM, Randy Whitaker is different then Woody. We have to remember Woody built relationships with the fans that spanned 20+ years and this is only Whitaker’s first season. He is a nice guy that truly wants the best for the fans and the team, but he is dealing with a HUGE learning curve. Whitaker is only capable of doing what the people that write the checks are willing to pay for.
3.) Entertainment. We have a solid team that continues to win. From what I’m told (on the business side) it doesn’t matter if the team is winning, it’s how the fans feel about coming to the stadium. Let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter if they increased the quality of the give a ways or gave a way trinkets that will break the next day, it won’t increase ticket sales. It all comes down to putting on a good show that the fans enjoy PAYING to see (and good customer service).
Right now the season ticket holders are not ‘feeling the love’ from management. Many of the ‘perks’ they previously received have been taken away (their own gate, early entrance, give a ways). I’ve talked with a lot of season ticket holders that are VERY unhappy about the lack of customer service and appreciation for their loyalty. I can’t say I blame them. Sports Service has been horrible at best. They raised prices, serve poor quality food and last but not least VERY, VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. When I interviewed Randy Whitaker earlier this year he talked about the importance of good customer service, a month into the season I think the team (Senators management and Sports Service) have failed to provide a quality product to the paying customers.
4.) I think we are on the same page with this. Prior to the season I heard how much the Senators wanted to be out in the community promoting the team, knocking on doors is the term I heard used. I have not seen or heard very much promotion. I saw one TV add prior to the start of the season. Fan Jam used to make various appearances in the community but that has not happened either. I remember going to lunch in Strawberry Square and Fan Jam would be there with the ‘spinning wheel’ giving away prizes, hasn’t happened yet. There has been a lack of promotion on behalf of the Senators, in my opinion.
In the early going the fans and media have voiced their frustration on a variety of topics. Attendance is down considerably. The fans moral is down. There is friction between fans and the Senators Front Office. Sports Service has lived up to its poor reputation. Is it time from the new ownership to panic? I don’t think so, at least not yet. I see Randy walking around every game carrying a clipboard taking notes. My hope is that those notes will turn into positive ideas that will be executed and in turn be visible to the fans. Personally, when I pay for something I like to know that I’m getting a quality product. I don’t mind paying more but at least make it worth it. At this point, it is difficult to say the fans are receiving a quality product.
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