Deservedly so, the Mets have a reputation for the most loyal fans in baseball. But with the team still in the race, Citi Field echoes. Where are those fans now…
Update: September 12 6:00pm EST
The Mets completed a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon at Citi Field. Only two games in the loss column separate the team from Milwaukee and Chicago from the final Wild Card spot in the NL. Let’s Go Mets!
The Mets have moved to within two games of capturing the National League’s final Wild Card spot.
You wouldn’t have known that, though, judging by the crowds the team has been drawing during this potentially decisive homestand. Here’s a look at recent attendance at Citi Field:
September 8 – 30,264
September 7 – 28,848
September 9 – 21,337
September 10- 20,843
September 11 -21,841
September 12 – 21,856
What’s going on here? Are fans distracted and disillusioned by yet another brush up with Met’s brass by Noah Syndergaard? Have fans tuned into the hopeless crusade of the Jets and Giants to put a winning team on the field? Are fans waving the white flag, even though the players are not?
It can’t be the weather. There hasn’t been a hint of rain and temperatures steadily in the 70’s. It can’t be the price and availability of tickets. Tickets for tonight’s game against the Dodgers can be found for as little as $28.00. Normally, that same ticket costs $9.00 – but this is Bums in town.
And it can’t be the entertainment value of the team the Mets continue to put on the field. In case some Mets fans haven’t noticed, Pete Alonso added two more home runs to his total in the last two days, giving him a league-leading 47 for the year. Moreover, Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler turned in stellar back-to-back starts.
Alonso rips two screamers into a bunch of empty seats…
The downward trend is only recent as the Mets place thirteenth in the major leagues in attendance, averaging 31,114 fans over 68 home dates. Which means that back in June when the team was a shell of what it is today, the Mets were drawing bigger crowds than they are now.
It’s interesting to note that Major League Baseball no longer counts tickets sold per game. Only fans who walk through the turnstiles are included in the announced attendance.
Most likely, this accounts for all those empty and expensive seats we see empty during SNY broadcasts. These are fans who would rather eat the money they’ve spent rather than make it to the ballpark.
Which is also the reason why the Wilpons won’t be heard crying any tears. That money is already in their pockets.
The 7 Line Army hasn’t backed off, and they deserve a shout out. They’re at the ballpark in full force every night. Yes, I did notice the photo (right) is from 2016. Doesn’t matter, they’ll be there tonight.
Dutifully, the SNY broadcast team has noted the vast number of empty seats on each of the last two nights. They seemed especially quizzical on Monday; the night deGrom was pitching. Typically, they let is go as just a note rather than delve more into the irony of the topic. After all, the bosses are always listening.
Mets Fans – It’s Still Doable
If 37,054 fans can show up on June 16 when the Mets were three games under .500 (34-37), and 41,109 fans went to see the Mets take on the Braves – when the team was full ten games under .500 -, then I don’t know. You tell me where these so-called Die Hard fans are tonight.
Two games out with two weeks left to play are doable. Okay, I didn’t say probably. The Dodgers are here with their aces on the mound. It’s cooled down a bit here at night in the Northeast but the Mets are hot…
Mets fans, if the team is still fighting, where are you?
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
