Sunday's attendence: 22,726?

[NJReds]

Had a great time on my weekend trip to Cincinnati for the Brewers series. The highlight was Saturday's game (the Freel show). The crowd was huge, loud and it was an exciting win.

But Sunday, on a beautiful day for a game, only 22K showed up. And event that seemed like a high number, because the crowd looked smaller then that.

Has the town not embraced the team? People not willing to pay to see Milton pitch (understandable, however there was almost a full house for Joe F. Mays)?

The team is leading the Wild Card. I was surprised at the lack of fan support.

[CrackerJack]

No cutesy give-a-ways for the collectibles crowd I guess. :)

[westofyou]

Has the town not embraced the team?

Any real embrace will be a residue of this seasons stretch run and the teams attempt to enhance that experience for the fanbase.

[flyer85]

The fans don't really believe yet. This is not a real good team and all it would take is one well placed injury to put an end to their playoff hopes. Maybe in another month it will change if the team can play well through August.

[registerthis]

There was probably a little league tournament, and a concert downtown, and some highway work going on.

[KittyDuran]

But Sunday, on a beautiful daywith low humidity - I saw a lot of people out that day (I did go to the game) - but they must've had other things to do...

I, OTOH, went to a Subway got an Italian sub on wheat, plain chips, bottled water, and chocolate chip cookies - found a free parking space - then went up to the ticket window and asked for a $5 ticket in the top row, and settled down and enjoyed the game (even tho' the Reds lost). No Harang or Arroyo sightings in the dugout...sigh!

[redsmetz]

Any real embrace will be a residue of this seasons stretch run and the teams attempt to enhance that experience for the fanbase.

I think you're hitting it on the head to a good degree. Ten years of bad management won't go away in a half a season. As for me, my wife and I talked about dropping down after church, but since we both work full time, it was the only time for us to get any gardening done, plus she has her usual Sunday stuff she does. I did have the game on while out in the yard, although I couldn't hear most of while I was tilling a new garden. And I'm remembering, I'm not as young as I used to be. Pass the Iburprofen.

[westofyou]

Ten years of bad management won't go away in a half a season.It it won't ensure that folks make the drive from out of town the rest of the year as well. Which leads one to believe that the Reds gave their upcoming house numbers a big long look before they went into the compete mode. My guess is they want more fannies and the buzz to hold off the usual morose August and September and the growing popularity of the Bengals.

That is part of why they took the talent loss, because the paper the play the game on has a ledger with red and black on it.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

Cincinnati has never really recovered from the strike, although every other MLB city has. Even in 1999, the crowds never turned out. I remember an incredulous Lance wondering where all the fans were when nobody turned out for a weekend series late in the year. I also remember the THOUSANDS of empty seats vs. the Braves - IN THE 1995 NLCS! Save for the new ballpark-inflated attendance of 2003 (and even that was WAY off what other cities have seen in a new park year), the fans just haven't come out since 1994.

[redsmetz]

My guess is they want more fannies and the buzz to hold off the usual morose August and September and the growing popularity of the Bengals.

Hmmm, you don't think Bob C's got people out there encouraging Bengals' players to get in trouble, do you?

[westofyou]

Cincinnati has never really recovered from the strike, although every other MLB city has. Even in 1999, the crowds never turned out. I remember an incredulous Lance wondering where all the fans were when nobody turned out for a weekend series late in the year. I also remember the THOUSANDS of empty seats vs. the Braves - IN THE 1995 NLCS! Save for the new ballpark-inflated attendance of 2003 (and even that was WAY off what other cities have seen in a new park year), the fans just haven't come out since 1994.
Cincinnati has never recovered from the BRM, the Reds are the only MLB team that claims a team record attendance from the 70's (1976) the next in line is the Dodgers in 82 with at least a million more then the Reds record, only 4 other team (IIRC) even log dates in the 80's. Plenty of teams claim records post strike.

Thanks Marge, then Carl and John.

[REDREAD]

Cincinnati has never really recovered from the strike, although every other MLB city has. Even in 1999, the crowds never turned out. I remember an incredulous Lance wondering where all the fans were when nobody turned out for a weekend series late in the year. I also remember the THOUSANDS of empty seats vs. the Braves - IN THE 1995 NLCS! Save for the new ballpark-inflated attendance of 2003 (and even that was WAY off what other cities have seen in a new park year), the fans just haven't come out since 1994.


They did come out in 2000 though. We can't prove whether that was due to Jr or coming off the 1999 season (or both).. but they came out big in 2000.

If the Reds make the playoffs, they'll sell a lot more tickets next year.

If I remember in 1995, the NLCS games in Cincy were during the week. At the time, I lived in Ky. I almost went there, but it's hard on short notice to get up there, and that's a long drive for the middle of the week when the game starts later in the evening.

[redsmetz]

Cincinnati has never really recovered from the strike, although every other MLB city has. Even in 1999, the crowds never turned out. I remember an incredulous Lance wondering where all the fans were when nobody turned out for a weekend series late in the year. I also remember the THOUSANDS of empty seats vs. the Braves - IN THE 1995 NLCS! Save for the new ballpark-inflated attendance of 2003 (and even that was WAY off what other cities have seen in a new park year), the fans just haven't come out since 1994.

I knew I remembered something about the 95 playoffs that involved Marge Schott.

I found this Bill Peterson column from City Beat in 1998.


That, however, was nothing next to the 1995 playoffs. Simply to save money, the Reds made post-season tickets available only to people who came to the stadium ticket window between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. with cash.

The result - thousands of empty seats for the playoffs just as baseball tried to recover its image after the strike - sent officials reeling. She also refused, as on other occasions, to provide the infrastructure mandated by the commissioner's office to facilitate free publicity offered by the media. And there were no post-game parties during the playoffs, either. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves were budgeting $250,000 for each post-game party.

The link to the whole story is at:

http://www.citybeat.com/archives/1998/issue449/editorialarticle2.html

[crazybob60]

I just wonder what attendance will be like after the 2007 season and if we will be saying the same exact thing, since it will be a full season calendar year under Wayne K. and Bob C.'s watch.

[registerthis]

I knew I remembered something about the 95 playoffs that involved Marge Schott.

I found this Bill Peterson column from City Beat in 1998.

The link to the whole story is at:

http://www.citybeat.com/archives/1998/issue449/editorialarticle2.html

Cripes, sometimes it's easy to forget just how crappy things were during the Schott era.

[crazybob60]

Cripes, sometimes it's easy to forget just how crappy things were during the Schott era.

I am currently reading her biography right now ('Unleashed' I believe is the title or something along those lines), and if half the stories in there are true, then crappy is a very good way of putting how things were during the Schott era, especially for the employees of the Reds.

[REDREAD]

That, however, was nothing next to the 1995 playoffs. Simply to save money, the Reds made post-season tickets available only to people who came to the stadium ticket window between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. with cash.

Man, you are right. That jogged my memory. I remember thinking that I'd have to take a day off work and drive all the way up to Cincy just to buy tickets.

[redsmetz]

I am currently reading her biography right now ('Unleashed' I believe is the title or something along those lines), and if half the stories in there are true, then crappy is a very good way of putting how things were during the Schott era, especially for the employees of the Reds.

I did business with the Reds when she was the owner auditing their freight bills for overcharges. I think I found a couple of overpayments and I was surprised when one invoice for under $30.00 was co-signed by Mrs. Schott. Now that's control. Usually clients will have on their checks something like "must be cosigned if over $50,000" or some number like that (it could be smaller, but I don't know any company that co-signs under a few thousand).

I never cancelled my agreement because it's nice to say I have a contract with the Reds, or, even better, if I go to a business day special, my secretary doesn't have to lie when she says "He's at a clients!" :laugh:

Back to the 1995 playoffs, I was very frustrated as a fan that we were being berated by the national media about not supporting the team because of that move by the owner. I don't think we've ever gotten out from underneath that. I'll guarantee you there are still national announcers who trot that canard out.

[Heath]

Man, you are right. That jogged my memory. I remember thinking that I'd have to take a day off work and drive all the way up to Cincy just to buy tickets.

Stupidest Idea ever.

I did have great seats though. :D