When playing on the minor league level, one thing most players complain about is the lack of a fan base to watch their games. I guess that also depends on what part of the country you are in and if baseball is a fixture within the local community.
At the end of last season, the Mets Triple A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51’s, mentioned on their site that they recorded 328,266 in attendance at 70 home games, which averaged out to about 4,689 fans per game. The amazing fact is that the Las Vegas franchise have reached the 300,000 plateau at home in all of their 31 seasons of existence (1983-2013). The all-time attendance total now stands at 10,314,780. In a city that has so much going on, baseball seems to be a hot ticket.
Below is a list of the farm teams and their final home attendance totals for 2013. With the attention the Mets have started to receive regarding the development of their top prospects, the numbers are sure to increase in 2014. I have to admit that going to a minor league game may not grant the fan the same experience as a major league game, but there is no better place to be than to watch the future stars of tomorrow showcase their skills for the die-hard fans.
Brooklyn (A-) 232,224
B-Mets (AA) 185,093
Savannah (A) 131,763
St. Lucie (A+) 98,664
Kingsport (R) 23,476
Its no wonder that Brooklyn is second in the system in attendance, especially since more than one player has admitted to me the experience in Coney Island is an amazing one and the fans are one of the best to play in front of. It also just may be because the big club shares the same city, but whatever the real reason is, as long as the fans continue to come out and support the Mets farm system, they will not be disappointed as the Mets continue to send out amazing young talent to the field.
(Photo: MiLB.com and NBCsports.com)
LARGEST SINGLE SEASON HOME ATTENDANCE:
1992, 387,815, 72 dates, 5,386 average
1993, 386,310, 71 dates, 5,441 average
2008, 374,780, 71 dates, 5,279 average
2007, 371,676, 72 dates, 5,162 average
*1983, 365,848, 75 dates, 4,878 average
2006, 365,659, 72 dates, 5,079 average
*inaugural season