MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said he expected league attendance this year to again finish around 74 million, staying within the tight but historically high band that has existed for the sport over the past decade. MLB finished last year at 73.74 million, down 0.4% from ’13 and its second straight decline. “We’re going to be right there in that range again. Whether it ends up specifically up or down, I can’t say yet,” Manfred said. “A lot of that will depend on weather, how that holds up, and which teams get hot. But we’re for the most part in a set group of facilities and when one team goes down, another tends to go up, and it’s mostly evened out. But there are no doubt markets where we do see real upside.” Several individual clubs have been pacing well ahead of historic norms. The Dodgers, for example, reached 3 million in ticket sales for the upcoming season at their earliest point in franchise history. Brewers ticket sales are pacing 15% ahead of last year, despite missing the postseason for a third straight year. The Royals, with their AL title and first postseason berth in 29 years in ’14, are not surprisingly up 35% from a year ago.
