An attendance bump was expected for the Stripers after the Braves' move in '17, but that hasn't happenedGWINNETT STRIPERS
The Triple-A Int'l League Gwinnett Stripers are averaging just 3,114 fans per game this year at Coolray Field, which is "even lower" than last season's average and "still dead last" in the league, according to Tyler Estep of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The team before this season dropped their Braves surname with the thought that it would "make marketing easier, stir up some new excitement and, potentially, give attendance ... a much-needed bump." Despite the attendance drop, merchandise sales are "expected to nearly double from what they were last year." Additionally, the new logo and colors have been "well-received, and marketing efforts have improved." Stripers VP & GM North Johnson is "still optimistic that another year or two might turn the tide for the Stripers" on the attendance front. Estep noted the attendance struggles could be due in part to lingering "animosity over the way Gwinnett earned a minor league baseball team." The area surrounding Coolray Field was also "supposed to be The Battery Lite," but "thanks largely to the recession, that didn't happen." Johnson said that he "expected a bit of an attendance bump" after the Braves moved in '17 from downtown Atlanta to SunTrust Park in Cobb County, but that "hasn't happened." Johnson: "People aren't coming here to watch those guys before they get to the big leagues. They're just waiting for them to get to the big leagues" (AJC.com, 8/15).
