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Thread: 2009 Reds Attendance

  1. #1
    Mailing it in Cyclone792's Avatar
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    2009 Reds Attendance

    It's hilarious each year when spring rolls around. People in Cincinnati fight each other for Opening Day tickets. They'll pay out the nose for tickets, sometimes paying several times face value of tickets. For the amount of money some people pay, they could have instead gone to several other regular season games for the same price. They're also willing to camp out for two days for a chance to receive the last 2,000 or so tickets. Then they get excited to sit in 40 degree weather with wind and rain, the same type of weather that would make even a football game pretty miserable.

    Every year is the same too. Opening Day comes ... and goes, and people in Cincinnati seemingly forget about the other 80 home games on the schedule. Where do all those "Reds fans" go? Must be back in hibernation until Opening Day 2010 ...
    Code:
    
    Date & Opponent                         Attendance
    
    Wednesday, April 8th vs. Mets:            13,568
    Thursday, April 9th vs. Mets:             17,837
    Saturday, April 11th vs. Pirates:         22,276
    Sunday, April 12th vs. Pirates:           12,876
    
    Non-Opening Day Average:                  16,639
    The Reds were 14th in the National League in attendance last season, and even with their Opening Day sellout in the books for 2009, they've gotten out to a quick last place start in NL attendance this season. While watching today's game, there were barely any people in the 500 level sections and even the lower level sections behind the plate were sparsely populated. It wouldn't surprise me if a few minor league teams outdrew the Reds today.

    How long will it take for their non-Opening Day average attendance to hit a meager 20,000?
    The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
    2014-22 Average Season: 71-91


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  3. #2
    nothing more than a fan Always Red's Avatar
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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Quote Originally Posted by Cyclone792 View Post
    It's hilarious each year when spring rolls around. People in Cincinnati fight each other for Opening Day tickets. They'll pay out the nose for tickets, sometimes paying several times face value of tickets. For the amount of money some people pay, they could have instead gone to several other regular season games for the same price. They're also willing to camp out for two days for a chance to receive the last 2,000 or so tickets. Then they get excited to sit in 40 degree weather with wind and rain, the same type of weather that would make even a football game pretty miserable.

    Every year is the same too. Opening Day comes ... and goes, and people in Cincinnati seemingly forget about the other 80 home games on the schedule. Where do all those "Reds fans" go? Must be back in hibernation until Opening Day 2010 ...
    Code:
    
    Date & Opponent                         Attendance
    
    Wednesday, April 8th vs. Mets:            13,568
    Thursday, April 9th vs. Mets:             17,837
    Saturday, April 11th vs. Pirates:         22,276
    Sunday, April 12th vs. Pirates:           12,876
    
    Non-Opening Day Average:                  16,639
    The Reds were 14th in the National League in attendance last season, and even with their Opening Day sellout in the books for 2009, they've gotten out to a quick last place start in NL attendance this season. While watching today's game, there were barely any people in the 500 level sections and even the lower level sections behind the plate were sparsely populated. It wouldn't surprise me if a few minor league teams outdrew the Reds today.

    How long will it take for their non-Opening Day average attendance to hit a meager 20,000?
    Cyclone, as I recall, you had said that you decided not to renew your own 20 game pack for this year.

    Perhaps many other Reds fans made the exact same decision that you did??

    It's a tough economy out there, and my guess is that most are waiting to see if the Reds are any good or not before coming down, spending $5 for a corner ticket and a buck each for hot dogs and pop.

    I do agree with you to a certain extent- even for Opening Day (which I went to and for the 2nd game too) the place was only 2/3rd's full, and by the bottom of the 9th (the Reds still had a chance to win, only being down 2-1) there were only maybe 8-10,000 left in the stands.

    It was a miserable day to watch baseball, but I was watching baseball.
    sorry we're boring

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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    How long will it take for their non-Opening Day average attendance to hit a meager 20,000?
    We need someone to bring up the numbers of what it has been in the past. The bottom line is that the casual fan will wait until the winning starts and even then many will wait until the following season to go to the non-OD games.
    2023 Reds record attending: 13-18 FINAL
    2023 Dragons record attending: 0-0 FINAL
    2023 Y'Alls record attending: 0-0 FINAL
    "We want to be the band to dance to when the bomb drops." - Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran

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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    I think it's sad, but I don't think it's hilarious at all. If this franchise is ever in danger of moving or being contracted, and I wouldn't dismiss that possibility over the next 20-30 years as baseball continues to discard notions of tradition and seeks to globalize the game, it will be because this town ceased to care. At opening day, I saw more "fans", beer in hand with their backs turned to the field, than people paying attention to the game. As a Cincinnatian and a lifelong Reds fan, that is anything but "hilarious". It is imperative that the club make some kind of championship run soon.

  6. #5
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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Quote Originally Posted by Always Red View Post
    Cyclone, as I recall, you had said that you decided not to renew your own 20 game pack for this year.

    Perhaps many other Reds fans made the exact same decision that you did??

    It's a tough economy out there, and my guess is that most are waiting to see if the Reds are any good or not before coming down, spending $5 for a corner ticket and a buck each for hot dogs and pop.

    I do agree with you to a certain extent- even for Opening Day (which I went to and for the 2nd game too) the place was only 2/3rd's full, and by the bottom of the 9th (the Reds still had a chance to win, only being down 2-1) there were only maybe 8-10,000 left in the stands.

    It was a miserable day to watch baseball, but I was watching baseball.
    I cancelled my package when the Reds made a decision to waive a white flag for 2009 during the offseason. My decision was one in which I was not going to reward the front office's lack of effort this offseason by committing money upfront.

    Still, I attended 23 games last season and chances are I'll attend a similar amount this season. I'll just decide on a game-by-game basis.

    The NL had 11 teams last season that averaged 30,000+ fans per game, and two more teams that averaged 29,000 fans per game. The Reds averaged only 25,415, and that included a big Boston interleague weekend series. I'd be shocked if they average anything near that this season.

    Also, it's fairly obvious that even the [few] fans who do attend games mostly sit on their hands during the game. There's just little to no excitement in the park, even during competitive games that can go either way. I've been to enough other parks in other cities to know that this is pretty uncommon around baseball. There's just little to no atmosphere down at GABP. There are quite a few other parks around the big leagues where the fans literally hang on every play, every swing, every pitch. That's what GABP needs to be, but unfortunately it's the polar opposite.
    The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
    2014-22 Average Season: 71-91

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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    A winning season could help turn this around.

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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Quote Originally Posted by Santo Alcala View Post
    I think it's sad, but I don't think it's hilarious at all. If this franchise is ever in danger of moving or being contracted, and I wouldn't dismiss that possibility over the next 20-30 years as baseball continues to discard notions of tradition and seeks to globalize the game, it will be because this town ceased to care. At opening day, I saw more "fans", beer in hand with their backs turned to the field, than people paying attention to the game. As a Cincinnatian and a lifelong Reds fan, that is anything but "hilarious". It is imperative that the club make some kind of championship run soon.
    I think blaming the fans for "ceasing to care" is silly. Making the playoffs more than once every fifteen years would help immensely. Cincinnati and the surrounding areas have always supported the Reds when they were competitive. The fans need to see some prolonged winning and competitiveness. I don't blame the apathy at all. I've got quite a bit of it myself.

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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Also, it's fairly obvious that even the [few] fans who do attend games mostly sit on their hands during the game. There's just little to no excitement in the park, even during competitive games that can go either way. I've been to enough other parks in other cities to know that this is pretty uncommon around baseball. There's just little to no atmosphere down at GABP. There are quite a few other parks around the big leagues where the fans literally hang on every play, every swing, every pitch. That's what GABP needs to be, but unfortunately it's the polar opposite.
    Ouch! Well, you could be talking about me...
    2023 Reds record attending: 13-18 FINAL
    2023 Dragons record attending: 0-0 FINAL
    2023 Y'Alls record attending: 0-0 FINAL
    "We want to be the band to dance to when the bomb drops." - Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran

  10. #9
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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    My brother and I will do what we can. We are meeting in Cincy in a few weeks (him back from baltimore and me from memphis), and will attend the entire three game series with Atlanta. While taking care of some personal stuff surrounding the passing of our dad a few months back.

    He took us to a lot of games when we were growing up. Closing the circle, as it were.

    I wonder, how many of today's generation of kids are not sharing the same experiences with their parents and Reds baseball?
    Last edited by membengal; 04-12-2009 at 08:57 PM.

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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Quote Originally Posted by membengal View Post
    My brother and I will do what we can. We are meeting in Cincy in a few weeks (him back from baltimore and me from memphis), and will attend the entire three game series with Atlanta. While taking care of some personal stuff surrounding the passing of our dad a few months back.

    He took us to a lot of games when we were growing up. Closing the circle, as it were.
    Sorry about your dad. RIP.

  12. #11
    Mailing it in Cyclone792's Avatar
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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Quote Originally Posted by Santo Alcala View Post
    I think it's sad, but I don't think it's hilarious at all. If this franchise is ever in danger of moving or being contracted, and I wouldn't dismiss that possibility over the next 20-30 years as baseball continues to discard notions of tradition and seeks to globalize the game, it will be because this town ceased to care. At opening day, I saw more "fans", beer in hand with their backs turned to the field, than people paying attention to the game. As a Cincinnatian and a lifelong Reds fan, that is anything but "hilarious". It is imperative that the club make some kind of championship run soon.
    You're right it is sad, and I agree with you on that.

    Maybe hilarious is too strong of a word, but it is absolutely undeniable that baseball season in Cincinnati pretty much consists of one day in early April. Every single season baseball dies in Cincinnati the day after Opening Day. This is a city that couldn't sell out NLCS games the last time the Reds were in the playoffs. It's also a city that had lingering attendance problems during the late summer months of the 1999 playoff race.

    Unfortunately this isn't a new problem, and now it seems to be getting much worse. The aura of a new stadium is long gone - though I will credit the Reds on doing a nice job sprucing up Lindner's Barren Pole Barn that he originally built. This is also now the first season the Reds find themselves without Griffey and Dunn, who despite being lightning rods, probably helped pull in a few extra fans each night.
    The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
    2014-22 Average Season: 71-91

  13. #12
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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Cincinnati and the surrounding areas have always supported the Reds when they were competitive.
    This is true, they are great bunch at getting on the bandwagon, unfortunately the Reds market depends on those bodies when the teams record ain't so good too.

  14. #13
    Smooth WMR's Avatar
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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Quote Originally Posted by Cyclone792 View Post
    You're right it is sad, and I agree with you on that.

    Maybe hilarious is too strong of a word, but it is absolutely undeniable that baseball season in Cincinnati pretty much consists of one day in early April. Every single season baseball dies in Cincinnati the day after Opening Day. This is a city that couldn't sell out NLCS games the last time the Reds were in the playoffs. It's also a city that had lingering attendance problems during the late summer months of the 1999 playoff race.

    Unfortunately this isn't a new problem, and now it seems to be getting much worse. The aura of a new stadium is long gone - though I will credit the Reds on doing a nice job sprucing up Lindner's Barren Pole Barn that he originally built. This is also now the first season the Reds find themselves without Griffey and Dunn, who despite being lightning rods, probably helped pull in a few extra fans each night.
    I think the Reds will sell out no problem if they ever make the playoffs again.

  15. #14
    nothing more than a fan Always Red's Avatar
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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    Quote Originally Posted by Cyclone792 View Post
    I cancelled my package when the Reds made a decision to waive a white flag for 2009 during the offseason. My decision was one in which I was not going to reward the front office's lack of effort this offseason by committing money upfront.

    Still, I attended 23 games last season and chances are I'll attend a similar amount this season. I'll just decide on a game-by-game basis.

    The NL had 11 teams last season that averaged 30,000+ fans per game, and two more teams that averaged 29,000 fans per game. The Reds averaged only 25,415, and that included a big Boston interleague weekend series. I'd be shocked if they average anything near that this season.

    Also, it's fairly obvious that even the [few] fans who do attend games mostly sit on their hands during the game. There's just little to no excitement in the park, even during competitive games that can go either way. I've been to enough other parks in other cities to know that this is pretty uncommon around baseball. There's just little to no atmosphere down at GABP. There are quite a few other parks around the big leagues where the fans literally hang on every play, every swing, every pitch. That's what GABP needs to be, but unfortunately it's the polar opposite.
    I agree with all you say. I was upset for the exact reasons that you are, and I think the fact that Darnell McDonald opened the season in CF speaks volumes about the real problems with this team and roster make-up.

    Brian Kelly showed this city what the answer to the malaise is; build a winner, and they will come.

    This city led baseball in attendance during the 70's. Build another winner, and the folks will come back. I can guarantee that. This city is starved for a winner.

    Some say that Reds fans are not rabid enough since we do not support and root for bad baseball teams. Well, just maybe we're smart enough not to waste our money watching bad baseball? You're a smart guy- I think you probably made a good decision. This way you can not go if the Reds truly suck, or if they're playing better, you can pick and choose which pitching match-ups to see, all the while going to the same number of games. Or not, as the case may be.
    sorry we're boring

  16. #15
    Goober GAC's Avatar
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    Re: 2009 Reds Attendance

    We seem to have this discussion every year in the first week of the season. Kinda silly isn't it?

    People still have kids in school, as well as various school activities going on. So that makes it hard on week day games.

    Weather is also a factor.

    Plus, even MLB has warned franchises that attendance could drop anywhere from 17-20% due to the recession.
    "In my day you had musicians who experimented with drugs. Now it's druggies experimenting with music" - Alfred G Clark (circa 1972)


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