What would happen if they staged a Major League Baseball game and no one came?
The Florida Marlins and Cincinnati Reds almost found out on Wednesday afternoon.
According to @justincohen790, there was an unofficial headcount of 347 fans in the stands for the first pitch of Wednesday's doubleheader at Sun Life Stadium. Cohen counted five sections with three or fewer people in it and three completely empty sections. The Marlins haven't announced the official attendance, but it likely won't challenge the record of the smallest crowd in modern history (believed to be 653 during a Oakland Athletics game in 1979).
That's because the Marlins will count all of the tickets were sold, not just the number of fans that moved through the turnstiles. Back in 2007, someone counted 375 fans in the stands for the first pitch of an afternoon Marlins game in mid-September and the "official" attendance announced by the team was still 10,121.
The empty orange seats at Marlins games, of course, has been a conversation topic for years and the upper deck at Sun Life has been closed since the All-Star break. Still, I don't think anyone can blame the thousands of Marlins fans for not attending this one. With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast, today's first game was moved from its original spot on Thursday so the teams would be guaranteed to complete it.
And, really, what would you rather do: Make sure your home is safe and flee the area? Or stick around on a hot day in south Florida in a lame duck football stadium to watch a baseball game between two teams that are going nowhere?
Considering the weather situation, 347 actually seems kinds of high.
The ownership really screwed the fans when they took their World Series team apart.People have just basically given up on the team till they go to their new home.
How in the hell did Marlins get a new stadium? Investors crapping their pants about now.
Went to away game last year we had around 10K and most of the crowd were us Phillies fans. Even then stadium at least 75% empty
The ownership really screwed the fans when they took their World Series team apart.
The team won two World Series titles in 6 years. Amazing feat for a small market team with no history of baseball.
And then the owners took the team apart. Sad.
Wow, is that pathetic. Sh'an't be long before MLB leaves Miami for good.
Awesome comment in the comment section:
"instead of the announcer introducing the players, the players can go in the stands and introduce themselves personally"
Best chance ever for people who want a foul ball.
Wow, is that pathetic. Sh'an't be long before MLB leaves Miami for good.
Attendance will pickup dramatically with the new stadium. It'll be up to the owners to invest in the team again to make them relevant long term to new fans. They'll also be competing with the new supercharged Heat and Miami has always been about the Dolphins. They'll survive if they play it right.
Twins got stomped by Orioles the other day.
Anyway, I once heard the theory there should be many less baseball games and they should be hyped up more, kinda like football.
And none of this double header bullshit. If they have any energy left at the end of the first game then they failed miserably.
Twins got stomped by Orioles the other day.
Anyway, I once heard the theory there should be many less baseball games and they should be hyped up more, kinda like football.
And none of this double header bullshit. If they have any energy left at the end of the first game then they failed miserably.