Interest In Orioles-Nationals Games Evidence Of Area Fan Support
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| Fans Turning Out For Orioles-Nationals Games |
Baltimore and DC, the "two cities that for 30 years were deemed incapable of supporting and nurturing two healthy [MLB] teams, are, in fact, well on the way to doing just that," according to Thomas Boswell of the WASHINGTON POST. And while the "job isn't done," the "project is probably too far along to derail." The upper decks at Nationals Park for this past weekend's Orioles-Nationals series were "filled to the top rows." The Nationals-Orioles series at Camden Yards earlier this month drew 95,673 fans, up from 63,703 in '07, and the Nationals' average attendance this season was expected to "round off to 30,000 after this three-game series attracts about 110,000 fans." With the "normal summer increase in attendance, the two towns will come close to averaging 60,000 combined, even though neither is remotely close to a playoff race." With both teams "apparently on the rise, interest in each club may feed the other." Nationals President Stan Kasten: "It was always ridiculous to think these towns couldn't each support teams. Their markets are big enough. ... It's on us to do our job and bring crowds out. The market is sensational. We'd like to reach the point where these six games are the highlights of each team's season" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/28). In DC, George Solomon noted Friday night's Orioles-Nationals game drew a crowd of 35,830, the largest at Nationals Park since Opening Day. Orioles fans "composed more than a third of the crowd." Nationals Owner Mark Lerner: "We want to get this rivalry going" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/29).
SLOW START: In Winston-Salem, Lenox Rawlings wrote turnout at Nationals Park this season has "remained steady but has failed to meet certain expectations." The Nationals' average attendance prior to the Orioles series was 29,123, which is up about 5,000 from last season at RFK Stadium, but is only about 69.5% of Nationals Park's capacity. The ballpark "hasn't generated the customary fresh-paint excitement," as "nobody stirs in the adjacent neighborhood. ... No street vendors. No signs of community life." And the $325 seats at Nationals Park are "mostly empty, a curious development in a status capital" (WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 6/29).
BIRD'S NEST: In Baltimore, Childs Walker wrote under the header, "For A Change, It's Fun To Be A Fan. There's A New Spark About The Orioles." The team is averaging 27,531 fans per game at Camden Yards, up more than 2,000 from '07. TV ratings in Baltimore on MASN have increased to a 3.3 from a 3.1 last season, and "fans have begun to express faith" in Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail and manager Dave Trembley. WBAL-AM sports talk show host Steve Davis said of Orioles fans, "I would say the biggest change is that people have less to complain about; they're less angry. We have a team that exceeds expectations, and when was the last time you could say that here?" (Baltimore SUN, 6/29).
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