Will Yanks Ever Draw 50,000 For A Game Again?
Via a Ronald Blum AP report – with a hat tip to Pete Abe:
Judging by the first two games, tradition wasn’t the only thing left behind at the original stadium across 161st Street. Noise and passion have been missing, too.
The 1,800 Legends Suite seats in the first nine rows ringing the plate, which cost between $500 and $2,625 each, were more than half empty at the start of the game as dozens of waiters and waitresses filled the aisles serving those who were there. Others patrons lingered over meals on the second floor of the duplex Legends Suite Club behind home plate.
Not a single spectator was in the final 30 first-row seats down each foul line during the first inning, and only a handful of those seats were filled later, when the rest of the section was perhaps more than half full.
Just behind them, separated by a walkway and wall that resembles a moat, were padded field level seats that go for $325 as part of season tickets and $375 individually. They, too, were about half-empty.
There were many spots available in the Audi Club ($75 plus an automatic $65 prix fix meal) and the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar ($90), although the back of the bar was full. While the first row of the Bleachers Cafe seats ($125) was about two-thirds filled, the second row was nearly empty. And only the smallest of the seven party suites in right field appeared to be in use.
Other than that, the rest of the stadium was packed.
If you believe what can found on the internet, the new Yankee Stadium seats 51,000 fans – but has a total capacity of 52,325 due to standing room only tickets. But, the Yankees are not selling standing room only tickets yet – until they reportedly “are more familiar with the nuances of the building.”
That’s a reach. The reason why the Yankees are not selling standing room only tickets is because they can’t sell all their “seating” tickets now.
So, the “base” for this new Yankee Stadium now is 51,000 – in terms of top attendance. And, when you factor in that the team has not sold many of those high-priced seats, it’s going to be hard for the Yankees to draw 50,000 to a game this season. Come to think of it, unless the Yanks start selling those SRO tickets, the last time the Yankees drew 50,000+ for a game just might turn out to be the last game that they ever played at the previous Yankee Stadium.
It was about 45,000+ today when I was at the game. The bleachers and 400s/300s were packed. Everywhere else? Not at all.
Here’s a really sobering picture: http://i43.tinypic.com/adyy4h.jpg
I absolutely had an amazing time because of the game and the section I sat in left field, but still, very sobering.
Wow. Great picture. Thanks.
From all the reports I’ve heard, the crowd was not that into the game as well. Are these the yuppie/corporate frontrunners that are there to be seen?:)The noise and some would say obnoxiousness of the old Stadium crowd gave Yankee Stadium a definite home field advantage.Yankee Inc should make/will make an adjustment to the ticket prices next year because it is unsightly and bad PR to see the seats behind home plate semi-empty during a game.