Dodgers Web Musings: Attendance continues downward
As that great baseball mind, Randy Travis, once warbled: "Since my phone still ain’t ringing, I assume it still ain’t you."
Or as he really meant: "Since the seats still are empty, Dodger fans, I assume it still ain’t you."
The Dodgers open their fifth homestand of the season Friday night, and attendance continues to plunge.
The Daily News' Tom Hoffarth thinks the attendance drag is the "McPerfect Storm" of people fed up with the McCourts’ ownership, the opening-day beating of a Giants fan and a star-less, mediocre team.
All true, although I lean heavily to the McCourt angle. Boycotters, your numbers swell.
Attendance at Dodger Stadium through the first 25 home dates is down a total of 178,219 -- the Dodgers representing a stunning 63% of baseball’s overall decline (282,160).
And there’s no reason to believe it’s going to change anytime soon.
Also on the Web:
-- Of all teams, is it possible the Arizona Diamondbacks are best poised to take advantage of the Giants losing catcher Buster Posey?
ESPN’s Buster Olney takes a look at the surprising rise of the Kirk Gibson’s D-backs.
-- And in a video, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian looks at whether the defending champions can win without Posey.
-- Considering the Dodgers’ current financial situation, Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman doesn’t think they will be able to re-sign both Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier after next season, and that James Loney is a likely non-tender candidate.
-- Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness’ Mike Petriello, surprise, is shocked at the concept at non-tendering Loney. Actually, he thinks Heyman could be a year off.
-- Here’s another wrong stat the Dodgers lead the league in: The Times’ Ben Bolch writes they top the league in players on the disabled list.
-- ESPN/LA’s Jon Weisman envisions his current Dodgers lineup, sans all injuries.
-- True Blue LA’s Eric Stephen writes that given the number of injuries, and with the Giants losing Posey and the Rockies losing Jorge De La Rosa, he’s not quite ready to give up on the Dodgers.
-- Dodgers.com’s Ken Gurnick writes of general manager Ned Colletti’s support for guide dogs.
-- Right-hander Ian Snell, cut by the Cardinals in the spring, has signed with the triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.
-- Steve Dilbeck
Photo: Dodger Stadium. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
Another possible element of the attendance decline is the increased police presence.
Criminals tend to shy away from places with a plethora of police.
Posted by: waus | 05/27/2011 at 03:08 PM
Heyman - bleh. He does realize that there will be new ownership by then, right? Even if there is not, imagine the current Dodgers without one of their two guys who actually produces. Frightening.
Posted by: vtadave | 05/27/2011 at 03:33 PM
waus:
Valid point and one that makes a person wonder just how much indirect drug money was being channeled into Dodger Stadium through those very thugs being kept away by the increased police presence? To me it's sad that this is the first place your comment took me.
Perhaps as prices spiraled out of control the past 7-8 years which put them out of reach of the average baseball fan and their family, the only people who could afford those tickets were those same drug dealing gang bangers.
I actually believe that even if the ownership thing is settled unless prices drop very significantly the Dodger bond with the community will be damaged permanently. I always felt that McCourtCo was pricing tickets in the east coast Boston model with a small stadium and huge demand but forgot to factor in that in California we have far more entertainment options...price is a serious factor. And they never considered that both the O'Malley's and Fox liked money but understood the money vs. other options dynamic for people in SoCal. Heck even Moreno gets that idea and has from day one of his ownership. People in SoCal won't spend a fortune on baseball...period. And we should not have to either.
Posted by: grumpy3b | 05/27/2011 at 04:06 PM
If the fans don't come out to the ball park, you can't stop them.
Posted by: Yogi | 05/27/2011 at 04:20 PM
nice attitude, Waus.
Posted by: AB | 05/27/2011 at 04:21 PM
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
Posted by: California Son | 05/27/2011 at 04:27 PM
"Attendance at Dodger Stadium through the first 25 home dates is down a total of 178,219 -- the Dodgers representing a stunning 63% of baseball’s overall decline (282,160)."
That is a stunningly beautiful number
and I pray that it continues! That makes me a proud Dodger fan! Great job by those fans in the LA area!
Posted by: Joe the Plumber | 05/27/2011 at 04:33 PM
Welcome to the Las Vegas Dodgers. Remember the LA Rams, LA Chargers and LA Raiders?
Posted by: Dwight Smith | 05/27/2011 at 05:01 PM
Good to see that the Dodger fans are waking up and realizing that the best way to make a statement and be heard, is to stay away from the stadium until the McCrooks are gone!!
Posted by: Jim | 05/27/2011 at 05:18 PM
Keep boycotting the stadium. The McCourts have let the city and fans DOWN!
Posted by: Pramod Patel | 05/27/2011 at 05:20 PM
Bought a mini plan, went to two games, but not the last three, and not planning on attending any more games this season
It's not fun.
Posted by: Disappointed and Apathetic | 05/27/2011 at 08:52 PM
The number of non-attendees vs 2010's at this rate will hit about SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND less in 2011. That is pretty spectacular. But i believe we can do better by doing even less. I think we can bring McCourt to his knees if LA realizes the reason they don't want to go is directly due to going too much.
If we really tried, we could cut June attendance down to an average of less than 25,000 a game, over 5,000 fewer than so far this year.
Come on, LA, you can do this! by not doing anything even harder. Just budget doing more elsewhere. We can do that!
Posted by: Native Angeleno | 05/27/2011 at 10:21 PM
BOYCOTT BOYCOTT BOYCOTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its the only way to get rid of Mcnothing.and Mcnothing likes this team (22 -29)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When did Mcnothing start smoking crack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: rd | 05/28/2011 at 07:38 AM
is it too late to bring back Manny?
Posted by: Lets cut to the chase | 05/28/2011 at 04:01 PM
Dodgers keep raising prices on everything. The only way you can get away with that is to keep putting a championship team on the field every year (check the Lakers). the McCourts have finally gotten to the point where people are not willing to pay more for less. On top of that a lot of people who have been paying top dollar for tickets feel like jerks after seeing how the McCourts have been manipulating the money they have received. The team is down to just 4 outstanding & healthy players with nothing in the minors. The future is dim unless they do some major signings, which is very unlikely while McCourt is there. Frank is broke and he still hasn't resolved the divorce and the probably $400 million that Jaime will demand.
Posted by: rudeawakening | 06/02/2011 at 04:58 PM