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Twins Finish 9th in League Attendance
The
Minnesota Twins finished ninth in attendance among
14 American League teams in 2006. The Twins’ total attendance of
2,285,018 and average of 28,210 per game placed them 20th among the 30
teams in major league baseball. Before baseball’s All-Star game in July
the Twins averaged 25,426 fans at home. After the All-Star game the
club averaged 30,926.
Interesting attendance figures for a team that was the feel good story
of the summer. All the Twins did was completely surprise their fans and
all of baseball by overcoming a poor early
season performance to win the American League Central Division on the
last day of the season. Along the way the Twins had a long stretch
where they were winning more games than any team in the big leagues. The
Twins also had the best home record in the majors, 54-27.
The
2006 attendance was the Twins’ fourth highest ever and the first time
since 1992-93 that the club had consecutive two million-plus seasons. In
franchise history (since 1961) the Twins have drawn over three million
fans only once in a single season (1988). The Twins have attracted
better than two million fans just eight times and only once drew more
than 2.5 million. When the Twins played outdoors at Met Stadium they
drew under one million fans 11 times.
A
Twins executive insists the organization is pleased with interest in the
team. Vice president of marketing Patrick Klinger can recite
several reasons as to why the Twins don’t draw more fans. Among the
explanations offered is one that helped the franchise win approval for
the new outdoor ball park: “During our decade long effort to secure a
new ball park, the sporting public heard often that the Metrodome is not
an ideal place to watch baseball,” Klinger said. “Anyone who has
attended a Twins game at the dome knows it was primarily designed for
football and baseball.”
While
the dome has helped attract fans because of the assurance that
regardless of weather games will be played, it has also kept fans away,
Klinger said. The dome has the fewest seats between first and third
base of any major league baseball stadium. The dome has more upper deck
than lower deck seats. Plus, the baseball ambiance in the dome is
arguably the worst in baseball (hello, Tropicana Field). Not what a
marketer wants.
On
warm, sunny days there is the temptation for fans to find other
activities rather than watch indoor baseball. And the Twins offer up
virtually every game on local TV and Klinger said that while local
ratings are among the strongest in major league baseball, the telecasts
make it easy for fans to watch the games from home.
A
factor, too, in the Twins’ challenge to match attendance accomplishments
with their on-field excellence (four division titles in five years) has
been season tickets. At about 7,500 season tickets, the Twins have one
of the lowest totals in baseball. That means fans can usually wait
until game day to decide whether to buy tickets and the decision may be
to stay away for various reasons.
Klinger predicts team attendance will be a different dynamic in the new
outdoor downtown baseball stadium scheduled to open in 2010. Interest
and excitement about the team and the ball park is so significant that
season tickets may total 15,000, or about double what the Twins sell
now. Klinger expects the fans’ appetite for outdoor baseball to
continue indefinitely, long after the honeymoon period of the new ball
park is over. And the ball park itself will be an entertainment
destination, offering superb sightlines and 21st century
luxuries and attractions.
There
is little doubt that in the years ahead the Twins’ ranking among other
teams in attendance will be better than in the past. The bet in the
Twins’ offices is three million or better for several seasons. |
“During our decade long
effort to secure a new ball park, the sporting public heard often that
the Metrodome is not an ideal place to watch baseball Anyone who has
attended a Twins game at the dome knows it was primarily designed for
football and baseball.”
Patrick Klinger of the
Twins
Interest and excitement about the
team and the ball park is so significant that season tickets may total
15,000, or about double what the Minnesota Twins sell now. |
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UM Ranks High in National Revenue
Indiana (fourth), Wisconsin (sixth), Illinois (seventh) and
Minnesota (eighth) were the Big Ten Conference
schools among the top 10 revenue producing basketball programs in the
country for school year 2004-05, according to an article last week in
the Capital Times newspaper of Madison, Wisconsin. The article, using
figures from a Wall Street Journal report earlier in the year, said
Indiana’s revenues were $12 .5 million and expenses were $4.1 million.
Minnesota’s figures: $10.3 million and $2.8 million.
Louisville ($18.5 million and $5.4 million), Arizona ($17 million and
$4.5 million) and North Carolina ($15.2 million and $4.8 million) were
the top three programs. The Gopher program, long known for its high
ticket prices compared to many schools, once ranked even higher in
national revenue but losing seasons and empty seats have impacted the
Minnesota numbers. For the upcoming season, individual game and season
tickets are still available to watch the Gophers, a consensus media pick
to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten standings.
The
Capital Times article also listed recruiting expenditures for most Big
Ten programs. Among schools listed, Illinois had the highest
expenditures at $230,000, Minnesota was at $124,374 and Wisconsin
expended only $43,309. The Badgers, who focus their recruiting in Wisconsin
and Illinois, have won two conference championships in the last five
years and are among the favorites to win the title this season. Many
schools have a much more national scope to their recruiting than
Wisconsin, a program that also has recruits from Minnesota and South
Dakota. |
The Gopher program, long known for its
high ticket prices compared to many schools, once ranked even higher in
national revenue but losing seasons and empty seats have impacted the
Minnesota numbers.
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Taney to Play for the Wolverines
Tennis star Whitney Taney decided earlier this week to accept an
athletic scholarship offer to attend Michigan.
The Edina High School senior has a 159-0 prep record and has won two
state singles and doubles championships.
Whitney’s father Ted said the University of Minnesota was among
her final choices and he mentioned how much she liked coach Tyler
Thomson and his players. “She (Whitney)
was fortunate to have many different colleges interested in her and
after a lot of thought she decided she wanted to go away to school,” Ted
said. “After making an official visit to Michigan last month, she really
fell in love with it and decided that's where she wanted to attend.”
Ted said Michigan is a top 25 program and
Whitney is probably the school’s No. 1 freshman recruit for next year.
She was No. 16 nationally earlier this year in the USTA’s girls 18’s
rankings.
Edina’s girls team has won nine consecutive
state championships and hopes to add a 10th next week. |
Whitney Taney
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Extra Innings
If
Brad Johnson can quarterback the Vikings to wins
over Seattle Sunday and New England on Monday, October 30, he moves into
a tie with Wade Wilson for the fourth most victories as a Viking
quarterback. With 25 wins Johnson trails Wilson, 27, Daunte
Culpepper, 38, Tommy Kramer, 54 and Fran Tarkenton,
92.
Fox
Sports North hockey commentator Kevin Gorg predicts the Wild will
be a “factor” in the Stanley Cup playoffs, advancing to the second or
third rounds. Wisconsin’s defending national champions will not win the
WCHA championship, Gorg said. Instead, a young Gopher team will
“surprise” by winning the title.
Former Minnesota North Stars owner Howard Baldwin is planning a
movie about Gordy Howe and sons Mark
and Marty all playing together in the early 1970s for the Houston
Aeros, according to an item in The Fischler Report.
Timberwolves president Chris Wright, who once was general manager
for soccer’s Minnesota Strikers, attended the World Cup matches in
Germany earlier this year. He has been to every World Cup since 1990.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Vern Mikkelsen was on
the Hamline campus earlier this month to sign copies of his
autobiography, The Vern Mikkelsen story. Mikkelsen was a great player
for the Pipers before becoming a star forward with the Minneapolis
Lakers in the NBA.
The St. Paul Saints compiled a 5-0 record on their recent trip to Japan
and became the first minor league team from America to tour Japan.
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Brad Johnson
Former Minnesota North Stars owner Howard
Baldwin is planning a movie about Gordy Howe and sons Mark and Marty
all playing together in the early 1970s for the Houston Aeros.
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