The "huge spike" in attendance the Triple-A PCL San Antonio Missions hoped to see after moving up from Double-A this season has yet to happen, with "persistent rain wreaking havoc on their schedule and area children still in school," according to Jim Lefko of San Antonio-based WOAI-NBC. The club last year averaged 4,885 fans in 67 home dates, but the average has "slipped to 4,617 through 19 games this year," good for 11th in attendance among 16 PCL teams. Still, Missions President Burl Yarbrough is "confident the fans will come." Meanwhile, Yarbrough said that the club's Wolff Stadium is the "worst" venue in Triple-A despite over $1M in offseason improvements. The Missions are working on a new ballpark plan they "hope to present to city officials in the near future." The cost is estimated at $75-100M, and it has "yet to be determined how much taxpayers will be asked to contribute." The Missions have "two years remaining on their current lease" (NEWS4SANANTONIO.com, 5/16).
NEW DIGS PAYING OFF: In Las Vegas, Ron Kantowski reported with an average attendance of 9,034 so far this season, the PCL Las Vegas Aviators are on pace to post the league's "highest turnstile count" since '07, when the Sacramento River Cats averaged 10,003 per game. The Aviators opened their new Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin last month, and club President & COO Don Logan said the venue has been "beyond expectations." Logan: "The place is comfortable, it has a friendly feeling, all the destinations within the park make people want to come out and take a look." Last season, the Aviators -- then known as the 51s -- averaged 4,746 fans per game at Cashman Field, good for 14th in the PCL. The smallest crowd at Las Vegas Ballpark so far this year is 7,731 on a Monday night (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/14).
