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April Attendance Sets Record for Minor Leagues
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Minor League Baseball set an attendance record during April. |
Minor League Baseball teams drew 5,905,069 fans during the month of April, the highest total in the 106-year history of the industry. The total represented an increase of 121,928 fans (2.1%) over the 2006 total, when the Minor Leagues set their all-time record season total of 41,710,357.
The record April total was achieved despite unseasonable snow storms in the Northeast and Midwest during the opening weekend. The snowy conditions were offset by good weather in the West, where the Pacific Coast and California Leagues showed healthy increases, and somewhat drier weather than usual in the South. Also, the season opened one day earlier in April this season, giving many teams one more playing date.
- The PCL recorded the highest increase, drawing 134,832 more fans than last year, a boost of 14.4 percent.
- The California League was up 19.4 percent with 47,619 higher attendance.
- Other domestic leagues reporting increases were the Florida State and South Atlantic.
- The Mexican League, which began play in late March, was up by 131,542 fans or 12.8 percent.
The leagues hardest hit by weather were those geographically in the northern tier of states – the International, Eastern and Midwest. Collectively, they lost 82 playing dates through postponements.
Among individual teams, the top-draws were
- the Monterrey Sultans (Mexican) with an average of 10,687;
- followed by the Round Rock Express (PCL) at 9,050
- and the Sacramento River Cats (PCL) with 8,582.
The Frisco Rough Riders (Texas) led all Double-A teams with an average of 7,782, while the Dayton Dragons (Midwest) paced the Single-A teams with 8,222.
Thanks to DBBC’s Matt DeMargel for this capcom story & photo.
