The number of tickets sold at Yankee Stadium through 13 home dates is up nearly 10% "from the same point a year ago," with an average of 41,418, according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. YES Network is "having an even stronger rebound from a desultory 2013." Games on YES so far have "attracted an average of 341,000 viewers," which is up 38%. The Yankees during the offseason added P Masahiro Tanaka, who is 3-0 in his rookie season. The longer the unbeaten streak goes, the "more buzz he will create for the team and the more he will presumably help ratings and attendance on the days he pitches." Also, if Yankees SS Derek Jeter "stays healthy and plays reasonably well, his final season before retirement is likely to be a magnet for fans." Meanwhile, the Mets have "a more mixed picture." Ticket sales "are up, but, in somewhat contradictory fashion, their TV ratings are down, even though the team had gotten off to a surprising 15-11 start." The number of Mets tickets sold through 16 dates is up 3.4% to 27,058 a game, "a nice lift after a steady decline in attendance since the team moved into Citi Field" in '09. Still, the number of viewers on SNY "has fallen" 4% to 180,000 a game."The drop in ratings on SNY "suggests how much work the Mets still have to do to get all of their fans on board again" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/2).
