The Orioles "spent liberally in the offseason and have exceeded expectations on the field," but as they "drive for a third playoff berth in five seasons, fans are not filling Camden Yards," according to Walker & Barker of the Baltimore SUN. The club drew 20,387 fans for last night's game against the Red Sox, marking "only the latest data point in a story that has puzzled Baltimore baseball lovers all season." The Orioles have "suffered the fifth largest attendance drop" in MLB, residing "near non-contenders" such as the Twins and the Brewers. Everyone "seems to have a different theory as to why -- increased ticket prices, oppressive heat this summer, fan complacency after five years of winning and some people feeling uneasy about coming downtown in the wake of last year's civil unrest after Freddie Gray died." The Orioles' "natural market is small relative to other teams, with a base of about 3 million people." By comparison, the DC metro area, which belonged to the Orioles before the Nationals began play in '05, is "about twice as big." Tourism officials are also "puzzled by the Orioles' attendance numbers as well." The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore has "tried to help the team attract fans." DPB VP/Communications Michael Evitts said "The partnership has worked with the Orioles on ticket packages of reduced-price seats to downtown residents. I'm disappointed at how the numbers have gone. I can't say why. We had kind of a rainy spring. I feel like the Orioles are pulling out all the stops" (Baltimore SUN, 9/21). In DC, Dave Sheinin noted the Orioles this season for only the third time in 12 years "raised ticket prices," and it was by a "significant margin," averaging roughly 20%. One "would expect attendance to shoot up in the late stages of a pennant race," but "it hasn’t." Sheinin: "You can’t blame it on a disconnected fan base, because the Orioles’ broadcasts on MASN rank fourth in the majors in average ratings" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/21).
