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SBD/Issue 4/The Back of the Book
Down On The Farm: MiLB Average Attendance Down 2.9% From '08
Published September 17, 2009
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) ended its '09 season with a total attendance of 41.64 million, down 3.7% from the record 43.26 million posted a year ago. The average game attendance was 4,055, down 2.9%, but 16 affiliated minor league clubs set individual franchise records. The Single-A Midwest League set a league record for the third straight year with a total attendance of 3.62 million. The Triple-A Int’l League Columbus Clippers, who this year boasted a new downtown stadium and new affiliation with the Indians, led all affiliated teams with an average attendance of 9,526 per game. The Double-A Texas League Frisco RoughRiders topped that classification with 8,028 per game, while the Midwest League Dayton (Ohio) Dragons led all Single-A affiliations with 8,496 per game (THE DAILY).
|
FINAL MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ATTENDANCE
|
||||||||
|
LEAGUE
|
LEVEL
|
TEAMS
|
GMS
|
TOTAL
|
% +/-
|
AVG.
|
% +/-
|
'08 GMS
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
International
|
AAA
|
14
|
955
|
7,017,469
|
-1.1%
|
7,348
|
-1.1%
|
970
|
|
Pacific Coast
|
AAA
|
16
|
1,120
|
7,133,386
|
-1.2%
|
6,369
|
-1.2%
|
1,110
|
|
Texas
|
AA
|
8
|
543
|
2,964,170
|
-5.3%
|
5,459
|
-5.3%
|
550
|
|
Eastern
|
AA
|
12
|
801
|
3,694,397
|
-2.0%
|
4,612
|
-2.0%
|
817
|
|
Mexican
|
AAA
|
16
|
838
|
3,079,774
|
-23.7%
|
3,675
|
-23.7%
|
832
|
|
Midwest
|
Low-A
|
14
|
933
|
3,629,038
|
0.7%
|
3,890
|
0.7%
|
930
|
|
N.Y.-Penn
|
Short-Season A
|
14
|
497
|
1,786,735
|
-1.6%
|
3,595
|
-1.6%
|
505
|
|
South Atlantic
|
Low-A
|
16
|
1,047
|
3,690,958
|
-2.3%
|
3,525
|
-2.3%
|
1,060
|
|
Southern
|
AA
|
10
|
660
|
2,284,201
|
-7.2%
|
3,461
|
-7.2%
|
672
|
|
Carolina
|
High-A
|
8
|
518
|
1,586,588
|
-8.1%
|
3,063
|
-8.1%
|
535
|
|
Northwest
|
Short-Season A
|
8
|
303
|
907,094
|
-1.3%
|
2,994
|
-1.3%
|
302
|
|
California
|
High-A
|
10
|
694
|
1,721,279
|
5.4%
|
2,480
|
5.4%
|
693
|
|
Pioneer
|
Instructional
|
8
|
295
|
721,942
|
-1.0%
|
2,447
|
-1.0%
|
296
|
|
Florida State
|
High-A
|
12
|
752
|
1,117,363
|
8.4%
|
1,486
|
8.4%
|
778
|
|
Appalachian
|
Instructional
|
10
|
313
|
310,124
|
-2.2%
|
991
|
-2.2%
|
314
|
|
MiLB TOTALS
|
176
|
10,269
|
41,644,518
|
-3.7%
|
4,055
|
-2.9%
|
10,364
|
|
|
TOP 15 MiLB TEAMS IN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR '09 SEASON
|
|||||
|
TEAM
|
LEAGUE
|
GMS
|
AVG.
|
% +/-
|
'08 GMS
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Columbus Clippers
|
Int'l
|
70
|
9,526
|
22.2%
|
69
|
|
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
|
Int'l
|
70
|
9,162
|
8.0%
|
71
|
| Sacramento River Cats |
PCL
|
72
|
9,126
|
-6.2%
|
72
|
| Pawtucket Red Sox |
Int'l
|
70
|
8,937
|
-1.8%
|
70
|
| Louisville Bats |
Int'l
|
70
|
8,750
|
-4.4%
|
69
|
| Round Rock Express |
PCL
|
72
|
8,707
|
-6.2%
|
72
|
| Dayton Dragons |
Midwest
|
69
|
8,496
|
-1.5%
|
68
|
| Albuquerque Isotopes |
PCL
|
72
|
8,363
|
0.0%
|
71
|
| Indianapolis Indians |
Int'l
|
67
|
8,202
|
-3.9%
|
71
|
| Frisco RoughRiders |
Texas
|
69
|
8,028
|
-1.5%
|
69
|
| Buffalo Bisons |
Int'l
|
66
|
8,027
|
-8.9%
|
67
|
| Toledo Mud Hens |
Int'l
|
70
|
7,986
|
-3.0%
|
71
|
| Iowa Cubs |
PCL
|
68
|
7,895
|
6.9%
|
66
|
| Monterrey Sultans |
Mexican
|
52
|
7,698
|
-38.0%
|
53
|
| Salt Lake Bees |
PCL
|
68
|
7,240
|
2.6%
|
71
|
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES: Over 7.4 million fans attended games played by the 51 independent league teams this season, up 3.3% over last year's total, and just 1.3 percent off '07's record total. The Northern League Winnipeg Goldeyes led all independent teams with 6,180 fans per game, while the Atlantic League Long Island Ducks led all teams in total attendance with 391,224 fans.
|
ATTENDANCE FOR INDEPENDENT LEAGUE BASEBALL
|
|||
|
LEAGUE
|
TOTAL
|
AVG.
|
% +/-
|
|---|---|---|---|
| American Association |
1,482,214
|
3,154
|
-4.8%
|
| Atlantic League |
2,064,245
|
4,024
|
-3.1%
|
| Can Am League |
563,208
|
2,209
|
-6.0%
|
| Frontier League |
1,444,226
|
2,626
|
0.5%
|
| Golden Baseball League |
631,109
|
1,890
|
38.1%
|
| Northern League |
1,220,300
|
4,421
|
-4.3%
|
