No Art Modell, LeBron James front-running and sports movies with @dimoko – WFNY Podcast – 2014-08-06
August 6, 2014
Cavs team age, Dion Waiters interview and quick sports takes … While We’re Waiting
August 7, 2014The Cleveland Indians are planning an “extensive renovation” of Progressive Field over the next two years, reported Tom Withers of the Associated Press on Wednesday evening. The plans are set to be unveiled during a press conference today.
Among the highlights: “interior and exterior modifications to the area stretching from center to right field” and a “modest reduction in seats.” In return, the team would then create more social areas for fans to congregate and mingle.
The first phase of changes, expected to be completed by the start of the 2015 season, will be privately financed. Future improvements could use a portion of the team’s proceeds from the May-approved Sin Tax.
The 43,000-seat Progressive Field is celebrating its 20th birthday this season. Eighteen new MLB stadiums have debuted since the opening of the parks in Cleveland and Arlington, Texas, in 1994.
One of the older stadiums, Kansas City’s 1962 Kaufman Stadium that hosted the 2012 All-Star Game, actually underwent major renovations from 2007-10. And one of those newer stadiums, Atlanta’s 1996 Turner Field, is actually set to be replaced by the 2017 season.
Last week, Crain’s Cleveland’s Kevin Kleps wrote about the team’s efforts to use analytics to study its attendance. The team is averaging an announced crowd of only 18,327 this season, second-worst in baseball only ahead of Tampa Bay.
The team’s top two attended games this season were Opening Day on April 4 (41,274) and the Omar Vizquel Hall of Fame induction on June 21 (40,712). In only two of the other 55 home games has the team surpassed even 30,000 paying fans. So certainly, reducing seats does not appear to be much of a concern.
None of the attendance issues should be news at all, either. The franchise’s average attendance dropped quickly from over 39,000 in 2001 to under 22,000 in 2003. According to past research from Crain’s Cleveland, season-ticket sales dropped from 15,000 in 2008 to only 8,000 in 2010.
[Related from August 2013: Why we shouldn’t be surprised by the Indians attendance]
Photo: WFNY, Jacob Rosen
5 Comments
Crain’s Cleveland’s Kevin Kleps – try saying that 5x fast.
I had a friend of mine trying to get in touch with someone in the ticket office to get around 30 tickets for a game in a couple weeks. It took 4 days to get someone on the phone. So it would appear that attendance isn’t much of a concern to the Indians either.
At least they know they have an attendance problem.
I’m sure it will be underwhelming. Just like everything else the Indians do.
Take the upper deck off you don’t/won’t need it!