Is Washington still a good baseball town?
It's no secret that the Wild Things' attendance has been on the decline for about a half dozen years.
Anyone who has ventured through the gates at Consol Energy Park and sat amongst the rows of vacant metal bleachers and blue boxseats knows this.
Washington's per-game attendance slipped to an all-time low of 1,741 per game last year. That's down almost 1,600 per game from 2007, the last year the Wild Things were in the playoffs. It's hard to lose 1,600 people every night.
What I've often heard over the years was that people would return if the team started winning. Last year was a total mess in terms of wins and losses, and there were plenty of sometimes-puzzling, sometimes-comical things that went on that surely turned off some of the few remaining fans.
This year, however, the Wild Things have played solid baseball. They've spent much of the season either in first or second place. Sure, they're not 19-5 like the 2003 team, but a 15-11 start in a balanced East Division is encouraging.
How anybody noticed? Does anybody care?
At first glance, attendance seems to be up from this point last season. Washington is averaging 1,780 fans per game through 11 home dates. After 11 home games last year, the average attendance was 1,517. So, attendance is up, and that's a positive, right?
Well, there are several ways of looking at attendance. This year, the Wild Things have played nine of their first 11 home games on weekends, when they draw about 750 to 1,000 more fans per game than they do for weekday games. Also, Washington had one home game rained out this year (a Thursday) and it was likely to be a poorly attended game. The first two games of that series drew 2,304 total. Had the game been played, the average attendance would be less than than 1,780.
Also, of last year's first 11 home games, only five were played on weekends. If nine of those games were played on the weekend like this year, I might be writing about a drop in attendance at this point.
The attendance for Sunday's game against Evansville was lousy. Only 1,253. That's about 300 fewer than the worst weekend crowd at this point last season.
Sure, the weather was threatening. Rain was in the forecast. Heck, the Pirates had a 90-minute rain delay before their game started Sunday. And it was Father's Day.
Oh, about that last one. That can't be used as an excuse for only 1,253 showing up. Washington has played six other Father's Day home games and the average attendance was 3,286. The worst attendance of the six was 2,498. Father's Day used to be one of the prime home dates.
There are a lot of questions that need to be asked and answered about attendance. What needs to happen for attendance to go up? Will the Wild Things ever again draw good numbers over the course of an entire season? Will fans only jump on the bandwagon if the team is in first place in August? If ownership does move the team, can you blame them after years of shrinking attendance? And, is Washington a good baseball town?
As for that last question, I've always been told that Washington is a good baseball town. It's the home of PONY Baseball/Softball and the Pony League World Series. But after looking at attendance in recent years at Wild Things games and the Pony League World Series, I'm not so sure that it's a good baseball town or even a good baseball area. Might not even qualify as a good sports area. Attendance at high school football and basketball games in Washington and Greene counties has declined significantly in recent years. Dual meets in wrestling? For many of those, the revenue those generate is not worth the cost of opening the doors or putting gas in the visiting team's bus.
Small college basketball games, which used to draw packed houses at Waynesburg and California, now draw a few hundred on most nights.
I can go on.
Washington County lost its Senior PGA (now Champions) Tour event at Quicksilver. Several American Legion baseball teams in the two-county area have ceased operations this year etc.
We like to think of this as a good sports area, but I'm not so sure. If you're not the Steelers or Penguins, then it's hard to generate much interest as the Wild Things seem to be proving.
Anyone who has ventured through the gates at Consol Energy Park and sat amongst the rows of vacant metal bleachers and blue boxseats knows this.
Washington's per-game attendance slipped to an all-time low of 1,741 per game last year. That's down almost 1,600 per game from 2007, the last year the Wild Things were in the playoffs. It's hard to lose 1,600 people every night.
What I've often heard over the years was that people would return if the team started winning. Last year was a total mess in terms of wins and losses, and there were plenty of sometimes-puzzling, sometimes-comical things that went on that surely turned off some of the few remaining fans.
This year, however, the Wild Things have played solid baseball. They've spent much of the season either in first or second place. Sure, they're not 19-5 like the 2003 team, but a 15-11 start in a balanced East Division is encouraging.
How anybody noticed? Does anybody care?
At first glance, attendance seems to be up from this point last season. Washington is averaging 1,780 fans per game through 11 home dates. After 11 home games last year, the average attendance was 1,517. So, attendance is up, and that's a positive, right?
Well, there are several ways of looking at attendance. This year, the Wild Things have played nine of their first 11 home games on weekends, when they draw about 750 to 1,000 more fans per game than they do for weekday games. Also, Washington had one home game rained out this year (a Thursday) and it was likely to be a poorly attended game. The first two games of that series drew 2,304 total. Had the game been played, the average attendance would be less than than 1,780.
Also, of last year's first 11 home games, only five were played on weekends. If nine of those games were played on the weekend like this year, I might be writing about a drop in attendance at this point.
The attendance for Sunday's game against Evansville was lousy. Only 1,253. That's about 300 fewer than the worst weekend crowd at this point last season.
Sure, the weather was threatening. Rain was in the forecast. Heck, the Pirates had a 90-minute rain delay before their game started Sunday. And it was Father's Day.
Oh, about that last one. That can't be used as an excuse for only 1,253 showing up. Washington has played six other Father's Day home games and the average attendance was 3,286. The worst attendance of the six was 2,498. Father's Day used to be one of the prime home dates.
There are a lot of questions that need to be asked and answered about attendance. What needs to happen for attendance to go up? Will the Wild Things ever again draw good numbers over the course of an entire season? Will fans only jump on the bandwagon if the team is in first place in August? If ownership does move the team, can you blame them after years of shrinking attendance? And, is Washington a good baseball town?
As for that last question, I've always been told that Washington is a good baseball town. It's the home of PONY Baseball/Softball and the Pony League World Series. But after looking at attendance in recent years at Wild Things games and the Pony League World Series, I'm not so sure that it's a good baseball town or even a good baseball area. Might not even qualify as a good sports area. Attendance at high school football and basketball games in Washington and Greene counties has declined significantly in recent years. Dual meets in wrestling? For many of those, the revenue those generate is not worth the cost of opening the doors or putting gas in the visiting team's bus.
Small college basketball games, which used to draw packed houses at Waynesburg and California, now draw a few hundred on most nights.
I can go on.
Washington County lost its Senior PGA (now Champions) Tour event at Quicksilver. Several American Legion baseball teams in the two-county area have ceased operations this year etc.
We like to think of this as a good sports area, but I'm not so sure. If you're not the Steelers or Penguins, then it's hard to generate much interest as the Wild Things seem to be proving.
posted by Chris Dugan at
9:52 AM
7 Comments:
I have said it before and I will say it again. $5.00 to park, $5.00 for a box of stale popcorn, $4.00 for a hotdog, $6.00 for a can of beer, blah, blah, blah. We have a 1/2 season ticket plan, and we enjoy going to the games, however, I am not made of money. We have attended all the weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday games, and I believe we might have spent a total of $11.00 on the concessions. One being a nasty funnel cake witch kept me up 1/2 of the nigh with heartburn, and the other a can of beer. believe if the concession prices were lowered, and the parking lowered back to $3.00, the people might just return. I can sit through an entire game, and as Chris elated to, the nearly empty seats, and I hardly see anyone eating or drinking (except a long line at he water fountain). This years team is exciting, playing half decent baseball, and I am pleased with the new manager and coaches, however, without the fans no baseball club can survive. This latest blog by Chris just might be a wake up call for the management of the Wildthings. We will continue to go to the games, but I can assure you no concessions for this fan.
You won't be able to see this year if winning brings back the fans. This team isn't going to win. This year's team is not exciting. It can't hit. It can't field and it has only 3 or 4 good pitchers. Same old same old. Too many Bando holdovers. I'll be shocked if it finishes any higher than 6th place in the division. It's going to be another long year and with no fans ..... some things never change.
I have yet to attend a game this season. While I do generally agree with most of the fans' complaints on this blog (the ridiculous fake grass, for example), it hasn't stopped me from coming back, as I simply am a baseball fanatic. I first attended a game in 2006, and the Wild Things were a far more exciting team than the Pirates. Even though Washington is a far longer drive, I chose to go there. Sidick, Dempsey, & Ledbetter were all exciting players.
But now the Pirates finally seem to be making a step in the right direction. Andrew McCutchen is one of the most exciting players in the game, and no longer are they signing free agents 5 years past their prime. Alvarez, Walker, Marte, Locke, and Cole are worth going to see.
And now we cut to the chase. I can sit up high and watch MLB talent, or for slightly less, I could sit up close and see the Wild Things. Parking is $5 if I go downtown and walk across the Clemente bridge. So for the extra price of tickets, I'd spend that on gas going to Washington. I went to just 4 Wild Things games last year, after going about 12-15 times a year since 2007. I went to about 9 Pirates games last year, and 3 already this year.
Last year's team was painfully bad, and the Bando bunch was a laughingstock. They couldn't hit, and certainly not for power. I have followed the team this year via the O-R online, the league website, and this blog. I do plan on making it to some games this season.
I am alarmed at the lack of advertising. When is the last time you saw a commercial promoting the team during a Pirates game? When is the last time they've televised a game? Baseball fans outside Washington County either don't know, or have forgotten that the team exists.
I personally do believe that ownership is purposely NOT correcting the problems and complaints. They know that poor crowds would justify relocating the franchise to West Virginia. What a shame, that place was a world of fun when it was packed and rocking. Where are all the busloads of kids' groups? Whatever happened to the obnoxious heckler with the horn who sat in the first row of bleachers behind home plate? Last year's blunders were the final straw for the average fan, I think. You DON'T raise ticket prices, parking, and concessions when nobody is coming. I don't think it would even matter if they win the division. That's a damning sign when there were few there for Father's Day. I took my dad to his first game on that day 4 or 5 years ago. It was packed and the Wild Things won on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th. It brought the love of baseball back to him after many years away.
These players play for peanuts. Do the right thing, ownership. Lower the tickets, make the parking free, make the food edible (and cheaper), advertise to death, or SELL THE TEAM. Sorry for the long post, thanks for reading.
Stu Williams living in his bubble and Steve Zavacky still being Steve Zavacky does not a successful franchise make.
This franchise is dead in the water. Look at the attendance. You can kiss baseball in Washington goodbye. Nobody will care when it's gone.
Swisscheda ... YAWN ... please stay away you're the kind of fan the Wild Things don't need.
Love Swisscheda. More Swisscheda!
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