Average home attendance for the Orioles' has declined steadily since '13, despite multiple playoff appearancesGETTY IMAGES
If the Orioles "do not show greater urgency with their approach to baseball operations," the problem with attendance at Camden Yards "will only get worse," according to Ken Rosenthal of THE ATHLETIC. A "decline of 9,397 fans per game for the first 15 home games of the season is the fifth-largest decrease" since '08. The Orioles are "not without excuses for their sagging attendance," including the "poor weather in April, and the lack of home games" against the Yankees and Red Sox -- the two biggest draws at Camden Yards. Whatever the reasons, the Orioles’ average home attendance has "declined steadily" since '13, even though the team made its "third postseason appearance in five years in ’16." But with the Orioles holding the second worst record in MLB, what happens after the trade deadline when 3B Manny Machado and several others "presumably will be gone and the team almost certainly will be worse?" Firing coaches will "not bring the fans back." But at some point, the Orioles will "need to send a message to their fan base, and begin a complete, fundamental overhaul that is long overdue" (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/7).
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ATTENDANCE TREND AT CAMDEN YEARS
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YEAR
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AVERAGE
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ORIOLES' MLB RANK
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'18
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18,408
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24
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'17
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25,042
|
23
|
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'16
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26,819
|
20
|
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'15
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29,374
|
19
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'14
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30,895
|
13
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