Your record-breaking Orioles

April 3, 2008

Well, the Orioles made another one for the record books last night — but not in a good way. A crowd of 10,505 was announced at their game against the Tampa Bay Rays, breaking Oriole Park’s former all-time low of 13,194. (And if the announced attendance last night was aCamden YardsCamden Yardsnything like the announced “sold out” house on opening day, the actual number of people in the seats probably didn’t crack 10,000.)

Coincidentally enough — or maybe not when you consider the ability of both teams — that last low-attendance game was also against the Rays, almost two years ago to the day on Apr. 9, 2006.

It’s not a good sign for the folks at Camden Yards who want to sell the downtown baseball experience rather than focus on the team’s play. Total attendance at the park has dropped by 18 percent since 2005.

Last night’s record did have a couple of contributing factors: 1) a cold and windy night that felt like belonged more in January than it did in April, and 2) the day after Opening Day is traditionally one of the lowest-attended days of the year in baseball.

But the rest of the season has other factors. To name a few: 1) a 10-year streak of sub .500 seasons that shows no sign of ending this year, 2) concerns over the price of gas and the commute to Baltimore and 3) a competing ballpark down the road with a team that (so far) is looking like it will be more fun to watch.

In a news release Wednesday, the Orioles announced various promotions for this month such as $6 student tickets for Friday’s game against Seattle and $10 tickets for adults 55 years and older for Monday afternoon’s game, also against the Mariners.

Do gimmicks like these bring more people in? If the attendance continues to be lackluster (aside from when the Red Sox or Yankees are in town), should the team consider lowering its prices for the upper reserves? If the economy is a concern, how about offering gas vouchers with the purchase of ballpark food?

Or is money not the point and it’s the team that needs to be up to snuff before the masses are drawn back to Camden Yards?

LIZ FARMER, Business Writer

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Posted by Jackie Sauter | Filed Under Orioles, business, sports 

Comments

One Response to “Your record-breaking Orioles”

  1. Ben Keeler on April 3rd, 2008 3:21 pm

    I went to camden yards the year in opened - the only stadium I had ever been to that point was the old Cleveland Stadium. Literally my jaw dropped when I walked out into the seating bowl.

    It is a shame that Orioles are so terrible that the stadium is practically empty some nights.

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