There are "new excuses" from all parties involved as to why MLB's attendance is set to drop for a fourth consecutive year, according to Tim Dahlberg of the AP. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred "blames increased competition for the entertainment dollar, which he says has led to a decline in season ticket sales in some markets." The MLBPA said that fans "simply won’t come out to watch bad teams that aren’t trying hard enough to get better." MLB is also "becoming hard to watch, and fans are registering their displeasure by staying home in increasing numbers." One theory is that MLB is "losing its true fans, the ones who appreciate the game and how it unfolds over nine innings." They are "increasingly frustrated watching a game that features little strategy, lots of time consuming pitching changes, and more strikeouts than hits." Overall, MLB "has a numbers problem in more ways than one," and the trend is "unmistakably downward" (AP, 6/1).
IF YOU BUILD IT...: The PCL Las Vegas Aviators are "leading all Triple-A franchises in attendance through the initial 28 games" at the team's new ballpark. The Aviators have "drawn 268,308 fans for an average of nearly 9,600 fans per game." They have had 22 sellouts (LAS VEGAS SUN, 6/4).
