It’s Crowded, And They Still Go There
From the MSG Network -
The Yankees drew 4,248,067 fans to Yankee Stadium in 2006 to surpass the all-time single-season franchise- and American-League home attendance record of 4,090,692 (set in 2005)…they are only the second team in Major-League history to reach the four-million mark more than once joining the Toronto Blue Jays who did it three times (in 1991, 1992 and 1993)…the Yankees led the Major Leagues in total home attendance and average home attendance (52,445) and also led the Majors in total road attendance (3,080,263) and average road attendance (38,028)…the Yankees also established the all-time Major-League record for combined home and road attendance in a single season with 7,328,332 (4,248,067 at home / 3,080,265 on the road)…the previous Major-League record for combined home and road attendance was 7,178,421 by the Colorado Rockies in 1993.
So much for “Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.”
Think about this for a minute. The Yankees averaged 52,445 per game at home this season. The new Stadium is slated to have 51,000 seats. Can anyone say “Supply and Demand”?
Think about this for a minute. The Yankees averaged 52,445 per game at home this season. The new Stadium is slated to have 51,000 seats. Can anyone say “Supply and Demand”?
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And if you thought tickets were expensive now…
I don’t go there anymore. And the crowding is 2/3 of the reason.
This is the first season since 1984 that I have not attended an MLB game.
What crowding?..It’s not like people are standing in the aisles on top of each other..I don’t get it…I’m always comfortable when I watch a game…besides who wants to go to a game when the stadium is half empty? isn’t the excitement of the experience going to a sold out game and feeling the energy of the crowd, when you walk into Yankee Stadium you can just feel the energy, it never changes for me…am I wrong here?
I can live with the crowds, and the long lines, etc. It’s the getting in and out that kills me with the large crowds all the time.
I think Yankee Stadium III will alleviate some of the in-and-out hassle that Steve is talking about. I assume that more adequate parking facilities will be built and that the subway platforms will be expanded a bit, as well as a re-jiggering of the loopy Major Deegan on and off ramps. I’m fairly certain that they’ll do a great job with the ballpark and the neighborhood in order to give customers the best possible experience (in exchange for the outrageous prices they’ll likely charge…).
Yeah, it is crowded, but that adds to the fun. It gets really load and rockin!
Little off topic, since the Yanks are drawing so many fans don’t you think they have to have larger give aways? I mean they give out whatever to the first 18,000 – thats not even half the fans that are showing up.
Ghost, I’d say the large crowds have the opposite effect. The Yanks don’t need to induce as many fans to come out for the giveaways and they don’t have to put their sponsors in a greater economic bind by having to produce more trinkets. Their sponsors are receiving maximum benefit by being affiliated with the Yankee brand and getting 50,000+ eyeballs at the ballpark so the giveaways are rendered fairly meaninglessm, from a business point of view.
I’m always comfortable when I watch a game…
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Seems to depend on the seats with me. I never really considered myself to be that big, but I have a hard time sticking my 6’2″ frame in some seats in the upper deck, main reserve and the main box. Bleachers depends on how crowded they are.
I think Yankee Stadium III will alleviate some of the in-and-out hassle that Steve is talking about. I assume that more adequate parking facilities will be built and that the subway platforms will be expanded a bit, as well as a re-jiggering of the loopy Major Deegan on and off ramps.
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I was over there yesterday, I don’t think they can re-configure access to the Major Deegan.
I was thinking about the subway access. If MTA could somehow restore the Polo Grounds Shuttle, that would be really cool. They don’t even have to extend it all the way to the Deegan, the Sedgewick Ave Station would be sufficient; much of the station is still intact. (pipe dream, tho)
//It’s the getting in and out that kills me with the large crowds all the time.//
So, come sit in the bleachers, Steve. You get in and out in no time.
I find public transportation is the least hassle way to leave the stadium. The MTA runs the D tains one after the other. Even sold out, most stay till the end, games are pretty reasonable exits.
~~~So, come sit in the bleachers, Steve. You get in and out in no time.~~~
Still have to deal with parking lots, and the roads to the GWB, etc.
It is unconscionable that the new stadium will have fewer seats than the current one. Why haven’t any of the major media outlets made a big fuss about this? It has become virtually impossible to get seats–even crappy seats–for nearly every game. Why would they want to make it harder for everyone?
And anyone who doesn’t think crowding is a problem clearly hasn’t had the experience I had at a weeknight game vs. Boston back in May, when I missed an inning and a half just to get a hot dog and use the men’s room.
I’m not sure I see why it would be unconscionable for the team to build a smaller ballpark. Most major league stadiums seat between 42-48,000 so the new Yankee Stadium will be slightly larger than average with its capacity at a bit over 50,000. That tickets are tough to come by is a product of the great marketing job the team has done both on and off the field. Back in the late 1980′s and early 1990′s, you couldn’t give the tickets away. Now they’re worth a fortune (and cost a fortune too). It’s just how it goes. Think back to the Knicks of the 1990′s — the Garden was rocking every night and the team sold out every single home game.
As for your negative experience in missing a part of the game to have a hot dog and take a leak…I try to take care of both on my way in before the game. Either that, or I tell the beer guy to make sure a hot dog guy comes around and give him a little tip for the courtesy.
It’s unconscionable because the organization is effectively denying more people the experience of enjoying a game at the ballpark. If ticket demand is so high, why not put in more seats rather than fewer?
As for the argument that most other teams’ parks are smaller, so what? We’re not talking about other teams; we’re talking about the Yankees. The original Yankee Stadium’s seating capacity fluctuated, but it was never lower than 62,000 from 1926 on. Why not bring it back to that level?
The Mets also set a team record for attendance. Interesting since the team was bad the last few years yet the fans really showed up.
Mike, I get what you’re saying but it just doesn’t work that way. The Yanks are under no obligation to build a larger stadium to a) compensate for a period of increased demand and b) to make sure that fans such as yourself or others get the chance to experience a game at the ballpark.
The team has the fiduciary duty to protect the interests of its owners and investors by building a stadium that can capitalize on increased demand by creating a scarcity in order to make each ticket and each seat more valuable. In exchange for this, fans will get value-added services for attending the stadium, namely in the form of better sightlines, better food, more comfortable amenities, and, of course, the best players in the game.
As for the second issue, if you want to go to the game, you have to buy the ticket. I know it sounds harsh but it’s not meant that way. It’s simply that the Yanks are doing what’s best for business. And the better they do in the baseball business, the happier we are in the long run. Would you rather attend a crappy game with lousy players in a 75,000 seat stadium? Personally, I’d rather the Yanks do what they do – gouge me in exchange for giving me the privilege of watching Jeter, ARod, Matsui, Damon, and the rest of the crew.
MJ,
Your concepts are right on, but I’d quibble with the math. 5000 more seats can easily be filled on a regular basis. This puts more money in the hands of great ownership, who, in turn, plow it back into the ball club. The wheel keeps turning, and the Yankees leverage being in the nations largest city. Every business needs to have some elasticity in their growth potential. 50,000 seat isn’t enough for the Yankees. Plenty for Milwaukee and Tampa and 20 other organizations, but not enough for the Yankees.