The New York Daily News’ Fillip Bondy (shown above left, with Bobby “The Brain” Raissman) used last night’s Mets’ debacle as a fine excuse to drop an old story about injuring Marvin Webster’s knee with a giant portable computer, along with complaining “there is nothing that reporters hate worse than a comeback on deadline.”
First I sent a œMets lose column to my editors at the end of the eighth inning. Then after Marlon Anderson™s three-run double, I sent a œMets win column in the middle of the ninth. Then after the Marlins scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth I sent a neutral column, because the game went into extra innings and wouldn™t be finished in time for the City edition (which actually circulates in the suburbs “ go figure). That column was used to hold space for one edition, until I filed an updated œMets lose column for the Racing Final.
This was about as terrible an evening as I can remember, and not only for Willie Randolph.
It would have been a great night to be a Marlins™ fan at Dolphin Stadium, but of course there was almost none in the place. Attendance was announced generously at 15,132. Many of those fans were rooting for the Mets, and many had left before all the dramatic plot twists.
You come to places like this to be reminded that baseball is basically dead in most of America, and that New York is one of the last oases of good taste that prefers this often elegant sport to football “ everywhere but on the sports talk shows.
Is baseball dead in Philly, Colorado, San Diego, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Southern California or St. Louis? 35,000 + turned up in SF last night to see a meaningless game between the Bonds-less Giants and Reds. More than 42,000 desperate souls made their way to Busch II to watch the 67-86 Astros hang 18 runs on the fading Cardinals. How is it that baseball’s minor leagues — which at least check, featured no franchises in the Bronx or Queens, have shown a steady increase in attendance year after year?
Perhaps — and this is just a crazy guess — the lower than low turnout in Miami to see the last-place Fish has more to do with a football stadium ill-suited for baseball, and an ownership group ill-suited for anything besides a dildo convention? Given the Marlins’ contentious relationship with local officials and their blatant flirtations with Portland, Las Vegas, etc., just how eager should the Dade County populace be to giving the club their hard earned money? How many Marlins games has Fillip Bondy paid to attend recently?
The Nationals are going to draw about 2.75 million with a team that’s 20 games under .500 playing in a stadium that was decrepit when I saw the Giants blow a 4th quarter lead to the ‘Skins there 20 years ago. The league is going to set another attendance record this year. On the day of the HOF inductions — when some observers said the crowd was the biggest they had ever seen for the ceremony, thanks to Ripken and Gwynn — the league set a single day attendance record. But, you know, anecdotal evidence is always a more powerful indicator than such things.
Although the sudden fan turnout when the Marlins made playoff runs always irked me a little bit, I salute their fan base for their current lack of attendance. The stadium has always been awful to see a baseball game in. There’s no other place in the country that needs a dome or retracable stadium more. The stadium is way too far away from the city to make mid-week games a viable entertainment option after work. And, oh yeah, the team sucks, almost by design. So eff the Marlins, and good for their fans.
Mark- I agree with your sentiments, but your facts are off. The Nats need to average about 45,000/game this last series to make it to 2 million. Actual attendance at many Nats games is much less than reported (paid), but that can be attributed to the stadium and perceived quality of play, next year will be much different.
I don’t know anyone who has seen the Nats this year who commented on problems with the stadium. the stadium is perfectly functional as a stadium. Call me a purist who fell in love with Memorial Stadium, but while the Orioles’ Camden Yards is nice enough, I can’t imagine going to a game, any game, where the game itself isn’t the only reason I’m there. I have been able to purchase many “Diamond Club” seats from season ticket holders in the last two seasons for half price plus free parking plus brunch and I’ll miss that experience if the demand goes back up.
rfk’s pretty shabby, but it’s got grass, a bit of history, and it has a (albeit unpleasant and inefficient) subway stop. plus there aren’t many planes flying overhead.
Don, really? I’ve had the opposite experience. Everybody I know who has gone there (including myself) hates it. The main entrance behind home plate is a clusterfuck, the seats aren’t in good shape, concessions are horrible (and are cash only, which I cannot understand in 2007), and there aren’t really any bleacher seats in the outfield with that gigantic wall that stretches the entire outfield. And yeah, as John mentioned, the metro stop is there, but it’s a hike. Have fun making that walk with some kids.
SJF, you’re right, I’m not sure where I got 2.75. Your figures are right; still, pretty impressive for a mediocre to bad team with no stars, treading water a bit until they move into their new digs.