May 23, 2013

Indians to unveil new “Teen Suite” at Progressive Field

May 3, 2013 by 11 Comments

Indians Teen Suite

The Cleveland Indians will lift the curtain on a new “Teen Suite” at Progressive Field this weekend when the Tribe hosts the Minnesota Twins.

Touted as being “perfect” for birthdays, graduation parties and other special celebrations, the Teen Suite features both indoor and outdoor seating options, in addition to a lounge area with video games and an all-you-can-eat buffet. Those who reserve the Teen Suite will also receive tickets for four club seats for parents and/or chaperones of the group in the Suite.

This new suite is the latest of many group-based ammentities at Progressive Field which now include the Indians Social Suite, the Family Social Suite, the exclusive FanCave Suite, and the recently redesigned 120-seat Collection Auto Group Club.  Six rows of seats in section 151, behind home plate, have also been taken out and have been replaced with tables and chairs for 36 people.

The Teen Suite will be available every Friday and Saturday night starting in May, and could be made available for other select dates as well. It is located in right field, adjacent from the Family Suite.

[Related: Tribe Pen Living Up To Billing]

 

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The Diff: Baseball attendance in April, sellout streaks

April 17, 2013 by 4 Comments

Last week’s version of The Diff was tremendous fun as we journeyed through the land of quality starts in baseball. With the Indians’ back-and-forth 5-7 start to the season, that post likely remains incredibly relevant. Now, we stick with the same sport but head to something more external: April attendance.

The Diff

Attendance is always a topical theme in the world of baseball at the beginning of the season. Once the facade of a boisterous Opening Day sellout is lifted, columnists and fans peel back the harsh reality of battling the frigid cold for half-decent attendance figures at the ballpark. Heck, in a sense, that’s exactly why I dedicated The Diff back on Feb. 27 to the topic of Indians attendance (and market saturation). I saw this complaint coming early in 2013. But yet, there’s still a need for much more context in this debate. And that’s why I’m back for more attendance talk today. [Read more...]

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The Diff: Market saturation and Indians attendance

February 27, 2013 by 20 Comments

In last week’s edition of The Diff, I shared a number of statistical notes about the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers. This week, I’m covering a topic I’ve been trying to get to for a while, but is perfect for right now: Cleveland Indians attendance.

The Diff

Cleveland Indians attendance is a topical news item this week. Firing right off the Nick Swisher arrival and the surprise signing of Michael Bourn, the Indians unveiled their new promotional schedule and then sold out of Opening Day tickets in six minutes on Monday. Excitement about the Tribe is as palpable this February as it’s been in the last decade — save maybe for right after ’07′s surprising playoff run. And that brings people to the age-old question: Will it show up in the ticket booths? Fortunately, I’m here to help — as I teased in Monday’s podcast. [Read more...]

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Cleveland Indians to roll out “Premium Club” at Progressive Field

November 27, 2012 by 25 Comments

On Sunday, it was the Cleveland Browns who borrowed a page from Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers. Come this April, the Cleveland Indians will be doing the same as they will raise the curtain on what will be called the “Premium Club,” a 120-seat area of the stadium located along the first base line that will feature the most exclusive of ballpark amenities.

A step up from the current club area located along the mezzanine, the Progressive Field Premium Club will feature 5,000 square feet of gourmet food, top shelf alcohol, 20 high-definition televisions, leather high-backed seating for season-ticket holders, and surroundings which have been deemed private and climate-controlled. Also differing from the current “club” level is that those in attendance will have the option to have open-air viewing of the playing field from their table side seating; the mezzanine club is tucked behind the sections of seats, leaving only television viewing as an option.

“We are excited to open this new, exclusive space for the 2013 season,” said team president Mark Shapiro. “It will allow us to better serve the segment of our fan base that research clearly determined desires a more premium experience. The new club features amenities and exclusive benefits that will give our fans a truly premium experience at Progressive Field.”

Attendees will also be granted access to SportsTime Ohio’s pre- and post-game shows, including a live filming of Bruce Drennan’s “All Bets Are Off.” Crains Cleveland reports that tickets will cost $150 per game. The Premium Club is one of the many projects financed by the team that will help improve the 18-year-old Progressive Field. While total cost is not reported, it is estimated that this was a multi-million dollar venture. It is believed that this new Club will provide a similar exclusive experience similar to the Patron Platinum Lounge and Suites located within Quicken Loans Arena which features various types of seating and tables, a full length-of-the-lounge granite-top bar, an array of specialty lighting fixtures, an assortment of large wall-mounted plasma televisions, and a full glass wall facing the arena bowl entry way.

“We understand that a large percentage of our business is based on the team,” said Shapiro, “but of that other small percentage, we have to be 100 percent perfect. The good thing is that we have complet control over that side of things, where things happen on the field that we don’t have control over.”

[Related: Prospect ranking turnover shows that Indians might still be bad at drafting]

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Indians working on “Premium Club” seating

August 31, 2012 by 1 Comment

The Cleveland Indians, regardless of their on-field performance, continually work to innovate with the stadium to try and create the best possible atmosphere for fans to enjoy a game. It is almost impossible to be positive about the team right now, but with no snark what-so-ever I have to be honest when I say that it is still an enjoyable ballpark experience at the Jake.

The Indians turned their club section into an all-you-can-eat section a few years ago. Now they’re exploring another kind of section between Club and Suite levels of experience.

As part of our continuing efforts to preserve and enhance Progressive Field for our fans, we are researching a new type of seating area, called the ‘Premium Club’, which combines the best elements of both the Club Seats and Suites. The Premium Club will be located on the Suite Level and offer a fantastic entertaining lounge that celebrates the team’s history and provides you an exclusive experience.

The team is currently showing concepts to season ticket holders during games, presumably to gauge interest and feedback.

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Box Score: Indians 5, Red Sox 2

August 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Brent Lillibridge. Zach McAllister. Ezequiel Carrera. Those are your three stars of the night.

Lillibridge finished 3-for-4 with his first home run in nearly 12 months while McAllister went eight strong innings as the Indians (53-61) won their second in three days against Boston (56-59) at Progressive Field. Carrera entered the game late as a defensive replacement, but also had an RBI single and an impressive final catch to end the game.

After the game, STO’s Katie Witham asked Lillibridge about the home run, and he said, “hopefully it’s a good sign for the next couple months.” He talked about finishing the season strong and how he’s just trying to help out the team. Witham also asked about Lou Marson’s RBI squeeze bunt that scored Lillibridge in the seventh.

And yes, Jon tweeted this during the game. That’s how we know the world has finally gone mad.

The Indians and Sox are back at it at 1:05 p.m. tomorrow. Corey Kluber (0-0, 6.10 ERA) could be making his final start in Cleveland before heading back to Columbus as he faces off against Boston lefty Jon Lester (5-10, 5.36 ERA).

Scoring Summary
Bot 3rd: Cleveland
- B. Lillibridge homered to deep left
Top 4th: Boston
- A. Gonzalez doubled to left, J. Ellsbury and C. Crawford scored, D. Pedroia to third, D. Pedroia out at home
Bot 5th: Cleveland
- B. Lillibridge singled to shallow left center, M. Brantley scored
Bot 6th: Cleveland
- M. Brantley hit sacrifice fly to left, A. Cabrera scored
Bot 7th: Cleveland
- L. Marson sacrificed to pitcher, B. Lillibridge scored
Bot 8th: Cleveland
- E. Carrera singled to shallow left, C. Santana scored
 Boston
AB R H RBI HR BB K SB LOB Season Avg
J. Ellsbury cf 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 .254
C. Crawford lf 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .258
D. Pedroia 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .275
A. Gonzalez 1b 4 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 .307
C. Ross rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .275
J. Saltalamacchia c 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .229
R. Lavarnway dh 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .105
M. Aviles ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .252
P. Ciriaco 3b 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .333
    S. Podsednik ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .379
    D. Valencia 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .198
 Totals 30 2 4 2 0 0 4 0 4
 Batting
2B – J Ellsbury 2 (12, Z McAllister 2); A Gonzalez (35, Z McAllister).
S – C Crawford.
RBI – A Gonzalez 2 (76).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out – A Gonzalez 1, J Saltalamacchia 1.
Team LOB – 2.
 Fielding
DP – 1 (D Pedroia-M Aviles-A Gonzalez).
 Cleveland
AB R H RBI HR BB K SB LOB Season Avg
J. Donald 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 .186
    J. Hannahan 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .231
A. Cabrera ss 3 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 .281
S. Choo rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 .287
C. Santana dh 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 .240
M. Brantley cf 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 .291
S. Duncan lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 .216
    E. Carrera lf 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 .385
B. Lillibridge 3b-2b 4 2 3 2 1 0 0 0 1 .202
C. Kotchman 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .224
L. Marson c 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 .242
 Totals 27 5 6 5 1 4 7 3 7
 Batting
2B – C Santana (21, C Breslow); B Lillibridge (3, M Melancon).
HR – B Lillibridge (1, 3rd inning off F Morales 0 on, 0 Out).
S – L Marson.
SF – M Brantley.
RBI – M Brantley (50), E Carrera (3), B Lillibridge 2 (4), L Marson (10).
2-out RBI – E Carrera.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out – S Duncan 1, B Lillibridge 1.
GIDP – C Santana.
Team LOB – 5.
 Base Running
SB – A Cabrera (6, 3rd base off F Morales/J Saltalamacchia), S Choo (13, 2nd base off F Morales/J Saltalamacchia), E Carrera (2, 2nd base off C Mortensen/J Saltalamacchia).
 Fielding
Outfield assists – M Brantley, S Duncan.
 Boston
IP H R ER BB K HR WHIP Season ERA
F. Morales (L, 3-3) 5.1 2 3 3 4 6 1 1.16 3.29
A. Miller 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.01 3.03
M. Melancon 1.1 2 1 1 0 0 0 1.50 7.39
C. Breslow 0.2 2 1 1 0 1 0 1.12 3.38
C. Mortensen 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.95 1.71
 Cleveland
IP H R ER BB K HR WHIP Season ERA
Z. McAllister (W, 5-4) 8.0 3 2 2 0 4 0 1.22 3.46
C. Perez (S, 31) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.20 3.80

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Indians Cancel Snow Days Because of Disappointing Turnout

June 2, 2012 by 2 Comments

Well, that didn’t last very long. After two years, the Cleveland Indians have decided to temporarily postpone the implementation of the Snow Days event that transformed Progressive Field into a winter wonderland. Here’s Indians President Mark Shapiro talking to Cleveland.com about the decision:

“We’ll at least take a year off and think about it. What will the next iteration of Snow Days look like? How frequently do you do it?” he said. “We want to make sure that what we have is an event, rather than something that’s expected.”

The Snow Days promotion was a hit for some families in the area, but clearly not enough. For baseball teams throughout the country in cold-weather locations, it’s likely difficult to transform their parks into year-round money-making facilities, something that basketball arenas such as Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena can easily do. I’ll be anxious to see if this promotion ever returns to the area, as it’s always going to be tough to draw crowds that never usually would consider the Prog as a winter destination.

[Related: Shapiro: “Snow Days” Set to Lose Money for Second Straight Year]

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Oh What a Night

May 24, 2012 by 18 Comments

Maybe Chris Perez was onto something.

It is not news that baseball is much better with a stadium packed with fans. Loud and boisterous and cheering for their team, the Indians last night got a taste of what the entire summer could be like every time they take the field if they continue to play the way they are.

I was there last night at Progressive Field. It was my 10th game of the season. Other than opening day (mainly because there were over 43,000 people there), that was easily the best and most vocal crowd of the year. When I saw the attendance figure read just 22,000 on the dot, I couldn’t believe it. It seems like way more to me. Maybe I have been to too many games where there are 8,000 people there. I received a number of tweets after the game that were dead on – imagine how loud it would have been with double the people in the stands?

For the 22,000 who were in attendance like I was, we were greeted to a playoff type atmosphere. This was one of those nights that makes going to a baseball game on summer night “the thing to do.” [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… Attendance woes, Ubaldo’s mechanics and Alonzo Gee’s future

May 8, 2012 by 12 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

Everyone is talking about the Tribe attendance- “But really, when it comes to the Tribe and attendance, not much surprises me. The Indians, even with the 30-15 start last year, finished with the seventh-lowest attendance mark in the Majors, were dead last in 2010, were fifth-lowest in 2009 and were 22nd out of 30 a year after reaching the ALCS.

This is what’s called a trend, and it’s part of the package here in a town that’s endured declining population and economic downturn and really doesn’t have baseball on the brain. It should surprise absolutely nobody that the city that ranked first nationally in TV ratings for the NFL Draft is the same city that ranks 30 out of 30 in MLB attendance, because this is a Browns town, through and through, and the once-in-a-lifetime Indians sellout streak of the 1990s was the product of a combination of unique factors (no Browns, strong economy, new ballpark, great team, downtown renaissance, etc.) that will never combine again.” [Castrovince/MLB.com] [Read more...]

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Box Score: Indians 1, Angels 2

April 28, 2012 by 1 Comment

Torii Hunter hit his second homer in as many games against the Indians (10-9), as the Los Angeles Angels held on to win 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field. The victory ended a five-game losing streak for the Angels (7-14).

The game was delayed for over two hours to start the afternoon, with first pitch moved back to around 3:30 p.m. From there, LA took an early lead on a Kendry Morales RBI single. Hunter then provided for an early 2-0 advantage with his solo blast in the fourth. The Indians netted their lone run in the fourth predictably on an RBI single from Jack Hannahan. That’d be all the scoring for the night, as this has truly been an pitcher-dominated series so far.

Indians starter Jeanmar Gomez settled down after the early runs, earning a quality start with a career-high seven strikeouts in six innings of work. The Tribe hardly managed to do much at all against Angels starter Dan Haren, who dominated for eight innings before Scott Downs came in for his first save.

LA Angels
AB R H RBI HR BB K SB LOB Season Avg
M. Trout lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000
H. Kendrick 2b 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 .263
A. Pujols 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .226
K. Morales dh 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 .267
T. Hunter rf 4 1 1 1 1 0 3 0 2 .299
M. Trumbo 3b 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 .326
    A. Callaspo 3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .182
E. Aybar ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .218
B. Wilson c 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .200
P. Bourjos cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 .167
 Totals 33 2 5 2 1 2 10 0 9
 Batting
HR - T Hunter (2, 4th inning off J Gomez 0 on, 0 Out).
RBI - K Morales (6), T Hunter (9).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - K Morales 1, M Trumbo 1, B Wilson 1, P Bourjos 1.
Team LOB - 6.
 Cleveland
AB R H RBI HR BB K SB LOB Season Avg
M. Brantley cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .233
J. Kipnis 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .257
A. Cabrera ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 .305
T. Hafner dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 .298
C. Santana c 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 .230
J. Hannahan 3b 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .300
S. Duncan lf 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 .241
C. Kotchman 1b 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .143
A. Cunningham rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .235
 Totals 31 1 4 1 0 2 8 0 10
 Batting
2B - M Brantley (6, D Haren).
RBI - J Hannahan (14).
2-out RBI - J Hannahan.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - T Hafner 1, S Duncan 2, A Cunningham 1.
Team LOB - 5.
 Fielding
E - J Kipnis (2, field).
PB - C Santana.

 

 LA Angels
IP H R ER BB K HR WHIP Season ERA
D. Haren (W, 1-1) 8.0 4 1 1 2 7 0 1.24 3.34
S. Downs (S, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.88 0.00
 Cleveland
IP H R ER BB K HR WHIP Season ERA
J. Gomez (L, 1-1) 6.0 5 2 2 2 7 1 0.78 2.35
J. Smith 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1.06 1.74
N. Hagadone 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.69 2.08

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Vizquel Discusses Possibility of Cleveland Return

April 8, 2012 by 3 Comments

With the Toronto Blue Jays in town for opening weekend, a familiar face has returned to Progressive Field. Now-utility infielder Omar Vizquel, who turns 45 later this month, appeared in Thursday’s Opening Day as a late-inning defensive replacement. Before the game, however, he chatted with 92.3 The Fan’s Daryl Ruiter about a possible future with his old team:

 “I wanted to be part of the organization before,” Vizquel said. “Obviously this business takes you to different places and you don’t know where you’re going to be the next day.

“The Indians have a special place in my heart.”

Specifically, Ruiter paraphrased Vizquel in saying that he would like to follow in the footsteps of former teammate Sandy Alomar Jr, the current Tribe bench coach. In the rest of the article, Vizquel addressed his thoughts on an eventual retirement, why he thought this Opening Day was particularly special, why he cherishes his Cleveland memories and if he thinks he is worthy of the Hall of Fame.

SportsTimeOhio displayed a graphic during Thursday’s broadcast saying that Vizquel started the most consecutive home openers for the Indians in Progressive Field history. He started 11 straight from 1994-2004, and Travis Hafner now sits one back with his stretch of 10 straight from 2003-2012.

Source: [Daryl Ruiter, 92.3 The Fan]

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While We’re Waiting … Tribe Loses, Draft Running Back, Buckeyes Football Recruiting

April 6, 2012 by 1 Comment

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

 

A cruel look back at how the year began: “The day started out great; after all, it was Opening Day, and the built-in optimism of the day was reinforced when Justin Masterson began to dominate a good Toronto offense. Justin combined strikeouts with economical pitching, and if the game had taken place in June, he probably would have finished the game off.” [Ryan/Let's Go Tribe]

[Read more...]

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1938 Cleveland Stadium Proposal

January 16, 2012 by 17 Comments

I’m not sure exactly where or when this stadium was purported to show up in time or geographic location, but the picture was taken in 1938.

[Read more...]

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Indians Attack Social Media on All Fronts

March 24, 2011 by 21 Comments

The Cleveland Indians started the day with a plan to rule Twitter in Cleveland.  By 8:45 AM Mark Shapiro was trending in Cleveland according to Trendsmap.  The Indians announced that Mark Shapiro and GM Chris Antonetti are now on Twitter.  With a single tweet apiece, the Indians’ brain trust was making themselves accessible to the fans.  All that pent up snark about Snow Days and country music concerts can now have a target, if that is how you wish to use it.  That was just the start for the Tribe.

They also unleashed a social media ticket discount.  By clicking a link and sharing the news with their Facebook or Twitter friends, Tribe fans were opened up to some ticketing deals.  But that wasn’t all either.

The Indians experimented last year with a social media deck in front of the bleachers.  The exclusive section featured wi-fi and a TV so that invitees could check out all the replays as well as the live action.  Well, creating that relationship with influential social media people is going a step further this season as the Tribe has moved the social media experience to a suite. [Read more...]

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Indians Unveil Their Plans for Postseason “Snow Days”

September 23, 2010 by 41 Comments

If you are one of the few thousand people to roll through the Progressive Field turnstiles over the last few home games, you may have noticed a new decal on the wall in right-center field.  Though a bit vague, the decal represents what the Indians hope will be a successful family-friendly atmosphere as well as a way to utilize the 16-year old facility during the winter months.

Dubbed the “Coolest Place in Cleveland,” the Indians will roll out the inaugural season of “Snow Days,” a winter playground of sorts that will provide attendees with the chance to participate in a range of winter-like activities, ranging from fireside hot chocolate on the home run porch all the way to 10 lanes of snow tubing in right field.  [Read more...]

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Discussion of Updating Progressive Field as Attendance Woes Continue

May 3, 2010 by 29 Comments

A month into the season, the Cleveland Indians are ranked dead last in average attendance – 30th out of a possible 30 teams with an average attendance of 15,197.  It is startling to see them listed behind clubs such as Oakland, Florida, Pittsburgh, and Washington.  Only Toronto has a lower average percentage of capacity at 30%, with the Tribe  averaging 35% capacity.  The Indians have only played 9 home games so far, tied for the fewest in MLB, and had a fairly decent April, weather-wise, when they were in town.  It is unlikely they will hold in 30th position throughout the season with current figures based on such a small sample size.  In the second game of the season against Texas, however, the Tribe set a single-game attendance record low in the 16 year history of Jacobs/Progressive field with an announced figure of 10,071.  In addition to Cleveland, Toronto, Washington, and Baltimore have also set single-game ballpark record lows.

[Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… Lee Continues to Flourish, Baseball Physics, and Football Outsiders

August 14, 2009 by 10 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.

cliff-lee-cole-hamels 

Pour out some Great Lakes: “When he first came over, we kind of dubbed Cliff Lee the 1a to Cole’s No. 1 status in the rotation. No more. Cliff is this team’s beast [...]  Mr. Lee is the kind of guy you don’t only expect to pitch well every time out, you also expect a win.  MLBCoz points out that Since the All-Star Break, Cliff Lee is 5-0 with a 1.32 ERA in 5 starts with 3 complete games. The man is ours.” [Enrico/The 700 Level] 

[Read more...]

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Indians Take On Oakland This Weekend

July 3, 2009 by 3 Comments

Athletics Indians Baseball

The Cleveland Indians begin a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics tonight at Progressive Field with plenty of celebrations on tap for the holiday weekend. The 31-49 Indians, losers of 13 of their last 15 games since crawling to only seven games under .500, are in the midst of a deciding portion of their franchise history. An extra trade or a few more motivational wins will change the course of this team for the rest of this season and probably the beginning of next year, as Manager Eric Wedge and company look to right the ship and contend for the playoffs again in 2010.

This will be the first series of the season with the Athletics, owners of a 33-44 record, last in the AL West and only 3.5 games ahead of the Indians. Last season, Cleveland lost four of six against Oakland in April before proceeding to sweep them in a three-game set at Progressive Field in early May. The Athletics have allowed about 90 fewer runs than the Indians thus far and their young starters going to work this weekend represent what the Indians pitching staff could look like by the end of this season. [Read more...]

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Indians Attendance Issues??

May 2, 2009 by 20 Comments

Will the fans ever show up again?

For the loyal followers of the Cleveland Indians, there has been a troubling trend for the 2009 edition of the Tribe. Over the last several years the Indians have ranked in the bottom third of the league in attendance, but nothing is quite close to the struggles they have witnessed thus far this season. The game on April 21 against the Kansas City Royals set an all-time record in the sixteen-year history of Progressive Field as only 11,408 fans showed up to watch the Indians win 8-7. In addition, on the season the Indians have averaged 19,963 fans per game, second to last in MLB only to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

What is to explain for this lack of support behind the Indians, a team that surprisingly finished 81-81 last season with the help of a fan base that averaged 27,122 per game? The weather for one has certainly been an issue. In the first twelve home games of 2008, the Indians averaged 23,577 helped by the fact they host the Red Sox and Yankees a combined four times in those games. This season’s number is well shy of that total, and is a sign of concern for the Indians marketing team that has struggled to keep this number up since the popular days of the Indians in the late 90’s.

[Read more...]

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Tribe Wins; Bullpen Still Stinks

April 22, 2009 by 9 Comments

LaffeyWith 20,562 screaming fans in full throat just 500 feet or so from the Home Run Plaza in left field, the Indians were taking on the Kansas City Royals. To quote the great Harry Doyle from Major League “in case you didn’t notice, and judging by the attendance, you haven’t,” the Indians won a game behind strong starting pitching and their suddenly potent offense, knocking off Kansas City 8-7 in front of the smallest crowd in Jacobs/Progressive Field history. The attendance was listed at 11,408, but that is tickets SOLD. My guess, it was more like 3,000. [Read more...]

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