Can The Indians Attendance Be On The Turn Around?
The Cleveland Indians attendance is the worst in MLB this season and is currently on pace to decline for the fifth straight season. The team has made multiple renovations to the ballpark in recent years, putting in a variety of local food favorites and new bars while taking out seats and opening up the views around the park to name a few. The play on the field has been better, as the team has put together three straight seasons of plus-.500 baseball and currently holds first place in the AL Central. This week has the potential to be a turning point for the Cleveland Indians attendance and here are some reasons why.
1.) The Team is Good
The Indians should have at least two representatives in San Diego for the All-Star game with Francisco Lindor and Danny Salazar. Prior to Saturday, Lindor is hitting .304 with 34 RBI’s and has been a wizard in the field. Salazar has led the fantastic rotation with a 7-3 record and 2.14 with 90 strikeouts and 47 hits in just 76 innings. Josh Tomlin’s 8-1 record and 1.12 WHIP should make him a consideration. Outside of the potential All-Stars, Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer are still in the rotation and Bauer has been especially good of late. Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana have started to provide some power bats with 14 HR’s a piece before the All-Star break. Napoli also has 48 RBI’s. In terms of steals, Rajai Davis is tied for the American League lead with 18 of them. Other guys have made contributions and it’s been without their best player in Michael Brantley. The Indians look like a total team right now and I would expect them to be buyers at the deadline for some bullpen help or maybe another outfielder.
2.) The Tickets Are Affordable
The Indians have one of the most affordable tickets in town. The $13 district ticket includes entry to the game and they pick up your first beverage including a beer. Where else in major professional sports are you going to be able to find that? For those on a budget and not interested in drinking there are also the $10 upper bleacher seats which still offer a great view. With the corner serving a variety of beer and food offerings including Melt, Sweet Moses, Happy Dog, Great Lakes, Barrio, etc. even the meal variety is covered. There are not a lot of reasons to argue about not enjoying a beautiful summer night watching baseball.
3.) Cleveland is Winning
This argument is maybe the biggest on why the Indians attendance can be on the turn around. The Monsters recently won the Calder Cup, hosting the franchise’s largest two crowds for games three and four of the Finals. Even the entire arena sold out for game four, all for a minor league hockey team. Then the Cavs are on a whole other level. The watch party for game seven sold out in just 28 seconds. My cousin who works for Drug Mart said the demand was so high for tickets there was a line 50+ out the door. So many people were calling that Drug Mart’s entire phone system crashed and people were parking in the pharmacy drive thru because there were no parking spots available. Then on Craigslist, tickets are going for upwards of $100. The support for the Cavs is unreal especially after looking to be the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. The Indians have the chance to feed off that energy. With the rest of the city doing so well and the Tribe in first, it is up to them to continue the Championship hunts for the city.
4.) This is a Big Series
The White Sox series might be the biggest one of the year for the Indians. Weekend series are always great for getting fans out without having to worry about work. The dollar dog nights, jersey giveaways, and firework promotions are an added bonus. Friday’s crowd was the largest of the year after the home opener and tonight was set to be around the same. Getting home wins in front of large crowds was something they struggled with last year. It seemed every time the fans came they left empty handed. This year, the Indians have a chance to reverse that. Battling to stay in front of the back-to-back World Series appearing Kansas City Royals, the Indians are looking for a big series victory over Chicago. They won Friday in dramatic fashion with a Santana walk off home run, the first walk off home run for Cleveland in 2016. Early in Saturday’s game, they knocked Shields out in less than two innings while scoring 8 runs against him. Fans will be flocking to downtown again Sunday as they will be watching to see if the Cavs can win their first Championship and the first major Championship for the city since the 1964 Browns. If you plan on getting downtown early, why not go see the Indians try and sweep the White Sox? Enjoy the warm weather and the city while celebrating all the city has to offer and the sports teams that come with it.
While the Cleveland Indians might be last in attendance the fans have a chance to help turn that around. The city’s sports teams are thriving right now with the Cavs and Monsters. With those seasons set to end tomorrow, the Indians will be the only ones left standing as the Gladiators have nothing but road games for the remainder of the regular season. Will a possible sweep of the division rival White Sox be the turning point for the season? Right now it is too soon to tell but the fans have come out and supported them this weekend with two great crowds and the team has backed them up. Let’s continue that and be known as Titletown, not Ghosttown.
