The 63-93 Tigers finished this season's home schedule "averaging 23,463 fans per game at 41,083-seat Comerica Park," the team's "lowest per-game average since their catastrophic 43-119 season" in '03, when they averaged 17,103 per game, according to Bill Shea of CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS. The Tigers' only "sellout" this season was 42,516 "for Opening Day." The team will "finish the season with 1.8 million in total home attendance, the first time they've dropped below 2 million" since '04. The Tigers' gate numbers are "announced attendance representing tickets sold" (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 9/23).
TEXAS TWO MILLION STEP: In Ft. Worth, Drew Davison writes while a "drop in attendance may not be too surprising," the Rangers "saw attendance numbers plummet by hundreds of thousands" this season at Globe Life Park. The team "drew a total of 2,107,107 fans this season," which is "down more than 400,000 from 2,507,760 last season." That averages to 26,014 fans per game. The '18 total attendance number is also the lowest since '08, when the Rangers "didn't top the two million mark (1,945,857)" (Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/24).
GAME FISHING: SBJ's Eric Fisher reports the Marlins finished their '18 home slate with a total of 811,104 fans coming to games at Marlins Park, which is the "worst in MLB and 1st team since '04 Montreal Expos" to finish below 1 million fans for a season. However, the new ownership group led by Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter is now "reporting tickets sold vs prior inflated marks." The Marlins' actual attendance is "thought to be similar" to '17 (TWITTER.com, 9/24). In Ft. Lauderdale, Wells Dusenbury noted the Marlins' final weekend attendance of 37,625 "marked the second-largest draw of the season" (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 9/23).
BRAVES' NEW WORLD: In Atlanta, Tim Tucker noted the attendance of 34,214 for Phillies-Braves yesterday "brought the Braves' total for the season at SunTrust Park to 2,555,782." That is "up about 50,000 from last year and the Braves' highest home attendance" since '07 (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 9/24).
