In professional sports, fans often build a rapport with a specific player or players.
They might go to the stadiums when tickets are affordable or when it is a special night.
These situations might increase attendance in specific spots and circumstances.
However, there is nothing to spike a team’s home attendance numbers like winning.
Really, it’s the perfect recipe: if teams win, they give fans a reason to feel attached to the team, to feel competitive.
Very few fans like to go to the stadium when the team can barely win 50 games.
The Cincinnati Reds are the perfect example of this.
With a 46 percent increase, no squad in MLB saw a higher spike in home attendance vs. last year per Codify Baseball.
Home attendance this year vs. last year
+46% CIN
+42% BAL CLE
+34% PHI
+30% PIT
+28% TB MIA
+26% TEX
+22% ARI
+18% SEA
+14% TOR HOU
+10% MIN SD
+7% LAA
+6% OAK CHC
+5% MIL
+4% DET NYY
+2% ATL KC BOS
+1% SF
+0% COL NYM
-1% LAD
-2% STL
-8% WSH
-17% CWS— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) October 2, 2023
46 percent represents a dramatic increase.
Last year, the Reds started off the season with a 3-22 record and finished at 62-100.
This year, they didn’t quite make the playoffs but they were in the fight until the very end.
Their 82-80 mark was just two games worse than the last playoff team in the National League, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 2023 campaign saw the Reds develop some impressive young talent, including pitchers Andrew Abbott and Hunter Greene and hitters Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, and of course Elly De La Cruz.
The Reds will surely be back in 2024 with that impressive core, and even with some improvements.
If they do invest in at least a couple of impact starters and the bullpen, you can bet Great American BallPark will be close to full for almost every home game.
The post Reds Fans Made A Major Statement In 2023 appeared first on The Cold Wire.