House Of Sand And Fog: Braves Fight Playoff Attendance Woes

Atlanta’s Early Round Playoff Apathy Continues

The Braves’ announced attendance for yesterday’s NLDS Game One matchup against the Astros was 41,464 as “swatches of empty seats were evident in the upper deck and behind left field,” according to Steve Hummer of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, who notes non-sellouts are “an Atlanta tradition this time of year.” The Braves list capacity at 50,096. Braves Chair & President Terry McGuirk: “I think its unfair for (the division series) to ever be a referendum on the fans.” McGuirk noted the game’s 4:00pm ET weekday start time and added, “That’s a tough start time. It’s a reality check. It would be great to have a full house, but I think if the fans were blasé, we’d have something like 28,000 out here.” McGuirk “expects a larger crowd” for Game Two of the series today, which also starts at 4:00pm. In comparison, Hummer notes it was still possible yesterday to buy “upper tier” seats for ALDS Twins-Yankees Game Two, but the “other divisional series are all virtual sellouts” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/7).