Resilient White Sox/AL Central Attendance, somehow up 1.8% YoY for first 21 home dates

[caulfield12]

7 minutes ago, WBWSF said:

This team is so bad I'm beginning to think the crowds will even be small during the warmer months. The team simply isn't any good and most of all can't hit. I noticed that the White Sox have 10 bobblehead giveaways this year. Not one bobblehead is of any present player. Every bobblehead is of somebody from the past.

Yeah, the only realistic choices were Robert and Vaughn...and they didn't want to have a Bobblehead Night for a player already traded away.

I guess the same with Benintendi, coming off his second half last season.

[zisk]

sure hope quero keeps hitting. ramos played his 1st game tonite. braden monty hit another homer . caleb bonamer looks

good too. don't know what sean burkes problem is though.  tomorrow is another day.

[2Deep]

This attendance talks means nothing to me.  When jerry decides to put a product worth watching the RATE will have fans that come and watch.

Many are like me right now where they refuse to give Jerry our money until he decides he gives a Flying F about the product on the field.   

[southsider2k5]

 

[Bananarchy]

8 hours ago, 2Deep said:

This attendance talks means nothing to me.  When jerry decides to put a product worth watching the RATE will have fans that come and watch.

Many are like me right now where they refuse to give Jerry our money until he decides he gives a Flying F about the product on the field.   

Agreed with this. While some will say "real fans die hard", the truth is the white sox fan base has been beaten to death by poor ownership. At this point, going to the game says nothing about the strength of your fandom.

[caulfield12]

 

25. Guaranteed Rate Field — Chicago, IL

Woof. It’s the worst ballpark in active service in the majors, but getting to it is easy. The Chicago White Sox fans are long-suffering but generally quite kind.

Imagine you went to the dentist, but somehow, there was a baseball game happening. That analogy best describes the physical sensation of going to Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Dodgers mercifully do not visit Guaranteed Rate Field in 2025.

 

• Pros: You get what you pay for. A stadium with a dedicated public transit stop does deserve some praise.
• Cons: Just about everything else. The stadium is a decaying, unloved monument to Jerry Reinsdorf’s greed. I have never experienced such apathy radiating from a place.

https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/17/24120766/dodgers-stadium-guide-ranking-2025-elizondo-adric

 

Don't be fooled...they only ranked 26 stadiums, total, and The Oakland Coliseum was #26, which doesn't exist any longer as an MLB ballpark.

Edited April 18 by caulfield12

[77 Hitmen]

11 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

 

25. Guaranteed Rate Field — Chicago, IL

Woof. It’s the worst ballpark in active service in the majors, but getting to it is easy. The Chicago White Sox fans are long-suffering but generally quite kind.

Imagine you went to the dentist, but somehow, there was a baseball game happening. That analogy best describes the physical sensation of going to Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Dodgers mercifully do not visit Guaranteed Rate Field in 2025.

 

• Pros: You get what you pay for. A stadium with a dedicated public transit stop does deserve some praise.
• Cons: Just about everything else. The stadium is a decaying, unloved monument to Jerry Reinsdorf’s greed. I have never experienced such apathy radiating from a place.

https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/17/24120766/dodgers-stadium-guide-ranking-2025-elizondo-adric

 

Don't be fooled...they only ranked 26 stadiums, total, and The Oakland Coliseum was #26, which doesn't exist any longer as an MLB ballpark.

I don't disagree that Rate Field would be ranked near the bottom of most, if not all, MLB ballpark rankings, but how is it "decaying"?

Also, Tropicana Field is better than Rate Field?  I don't know about that.

IMO, Rate Field is a nice enough ballpark, especially the lower deck.  But it's rather forgettable to anyone who is not a Sox fan (or perhaps even a Chicagoan who isn't a Sox fan, but doesn't blindly hate them).  What makes it better than most other MLB ballparks that would warrant it being ranked anywhere out of the bottom 5?  The neighborhood isn't bad, but it really doesn't offer much of anything to the fans other than ample parking and proximity to train stations.   But many other MLB parks are near train stops, too.

Edited April 18 by 77 Hitmen

[caulfield12]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance

All five AL Central teams, along with Cincy and Pitt, bunched together at the bottom of attendance.

Warning signs for Seattle Baltimore and the Milwaukee Brewers as well...Milwaukee's slow start inevitably leaves only the Cubs/Cardinals drawing well.

Five playoff teams.

[WestEddy]

On 4/18/2025 at 1:13 AM, caulfield12 said:

 

25. Guaranteed Rate Field — Chicago, IL

Woof. It’s the worst ballpark in active service in the majors, but getting to it is easy. The Chicago White Sox fans are long-suffering but generally quite kind.

Imagine you went to the dentist, but somehow, there was a baseball game happening. That analogy best describes the physical sensation of going to Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Dodgers mercifully do not visit Guaranteed Rate Field in 2025.

 

• Pros: You get what you pay for. A stadium with a dedicated public transit stop does deserve some praise.
• Cons: Just about everything else. The stadium is a decaying, unloved monument to Jerry Reinsdorf’s greed. I have never experienced such apathy radiating from a place.

https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/17/24120766/dodgers-stadium-guide-ranking-2025-elizondo-adric

 

Don't be fooled...they only ranked 26 stadiums, total, and The Oakland Coliseum was #26, which doesn't exist any longer as an MLB ballpark.

This comes off as a review written by somebody who never visited The Rate. Decaying? LOL. 

[Highland]

I am one who thinks short-term attendance decreases can lead to long term problems. I am not one who thinks "winning solves everything" especially when a team doesn't win all that much. The Sox do not have a deep fan base. It took years to happen.

[southsider2k5]

3 hours ago, Highland said:

I am one who thinks short-term attendance decreases can lead to long term problems. I am not one who thinks "winning solves everything" especially when a team doesn't win all that much. The Sox do not have a deep fan base. It took years to happen.

The problem is, this will not be short term.  This is going to be the third straight year of 100+ losses, with a chance at two straight year of being the worst to ever do it.  Next year already lacks the position player prospects to get much better, and with their TV revenue problems, I severely doubt they are going to go out and spend over that.  Next year is probably going to be their 4th straight year of 100+ losses, with potentially a 5th on the way for 27 if their hitting prospects don't start to produce.

[Lip Man 1]

3 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

The problem is, this will not be short term.  This is going to be the third straight year of 100+ losses, with a chance at two straight year of being the worst to ever do it.  Next year already lacks the position player prospects to get much better, and with their TV revenue problems, I severely doubt they are going to go out and spend over that.  Next year is probably going to be their 4th straight year of 100+ losses, with potentially a 5th on the way for 27 if their hitting prospects don't start to produce.

With the lockout looming they may not even play 100 games. 😉

[caulfield12]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance

If it wasn't for the Orioles getting in the way of Milwaukee, the AL Central/NL Central would have a run of 8 out of 10 teams in a row near the bottom of attendance.

Of course, the Cubs are 9th (still down, comparatively) and Cardinals are 14th (also down compared to past attendance numbers.)

 

White Sox attendance only down 8.0% for their first 12 games (2025/2024 YoY)

215,992 vs. 198,640

Edited April 29 by caulfield12

[JoeC]

12 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

White Sox attendance only down 8.0% for their first 12 games (2025/2024 YoY)

215,992 vs. 198,640

I think it's because we were already so close to the floor in 2024 that it's hard to go much lower. We're reaching asymptotic territory soon, and I wouldn't be surprised if 2026 had a smaller decrease (~5%).

[caulfield12]

11 minutes ago, JoeC said:

I think it's because we were already so close to the floor in 2024 that it's hard to go much lower. We're reaching asymptotic territory soon, and I wouldn't be surprised if 2026 had a smaller decrease (~5%).

Better promotions as well...maybe part of it weather or opponent related, but the A's were/are hardly a draw YET.

[Dam8610]

On 4/8/2025 at 1:37 AM, caulfield12 said:

Was actually expecting a loss of an additional 15-20% in attendance coming off a 121 loss, history-breaking season...so this is a pleasant surprise so far for JR & Sons.

Cleveland is the very last team in the major leagues to open up, coming tmrw afternoon at 3 p.m. against the White Sox.

 

Right now, it's quite obvious that Detroit probably has the most enthusiasm/"momentum" from their fanbase coming off a tremendously successful (and unexpected post-season) as they finished off the home stretch of games at something like 20 games over the .500 mark.

14. DETROIT  30,604 per game

24. MINNESOTA 22,501 per game and off to a 3-7 mark, which they could ill afford after last season's disappointing 4th place finish

25. KANSAS CITY 20,750 per game, and must be a pretty big kick in the face for ownership after how well they did in the post-season last year

26. WHITE SOX 17,383 per game...ahead of Miami, the Athletics (limited by the size of the Sacramento AAA stadium, they're basically sold out this year in terms of season tickets), and TB (also limited by stadium size at Steinbrenner Field to 11,000+).  Soon to be 27th after Cleveland opens the gates...

 

First six home games last year for White Sox, 116,492 compared to 104,301 this year.

Detroit, Atlanta and Cincy compared to Anaheim and Minnesota for those opponents (hard not to argue last season's early schedule was slightly more "compellling").

Of course, the MAJOR difference/s between the two seasons is Grifol vs. Venable as manager and coming off 61-101 versus 41-121.

Perhaps the general excitement over Justin Ishbia taking over the team in the future has fueled some additional fan enthusiasm/dare one say hopefulness?

 

Cue obligatory comments about Caulfield starting an attendance thread when he lives...the shortest distance (as the crow flies) between Wuhan, China and Chicago is approximately 7,066.87 miles away.

(Give me a slight break, the 104% tariff is coming in just over 9 hours from now, lol...)

Only 10.5%? That seems incredibly low.

[southsider2k5]

20 minutes ago, Dam8610 said:

Only 10.5%? That seems incredibly low.

It's harder and harder to get big percentages when the base number gets smaller and smaller.  You get into the ones who will literally never leave, and we are getting to the point where that is about all that is left.

[BamaDoc]

Currently avg 15,714.  Last year total home avg 17,900.    People are correct, the percentage of now 12% lower is influenced by last years low 1.38 million total attendance.

[PaleAleSox]

11 minutes ago, BamaDoc said:

Currently avg 15,714.  Last year total home avg 17,900.    People are correct, the percentage of now 12% lower is influenced by last years low 1.38 million total attendance.

Surely that will climb up as the weather gets better, right? 

[southsider2k5]

11 minutes ago, BamaDoc said:

Currently avg 15,714.  Last year total home avg 17,900.    People are correct, the percentage of now 12% lower is influenced by last years low 1.38 million total attendance.

Again a better perspective is that the last time in White Sox history they averaged this few fans was the penultimate season at the old ballpark, where they averaged 13,071.  That is 36 years ago in 1989.  A large portion of the fan base is quite literally not old enough to remember attendance this bad in their lifetimes.

[caulfield12]

11 minutes ago, BamaDoc said:

Currently avg 15,714.  Last year total home avg 17,900.    People are correct, the percentage of now 12% lower is influenced by last years low 1.38 million total attendance.

And obviously all of last year vs. March/April of 2025 doesn't accurately reflect the best summer vacation months/giveaways/promotions.

You have to do it game by competitive game...year on year, to be more accurate except you will have different opponents, game schedules and Monday through Thurs. vs. Fri Sat Sun more popular weekend dates.  and obviously the weather is so changeable/variable.

[caulfield12]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance

AL/NL Central continues their "seven in a row strangehold" near the bottom...with only MIL STL Cubs the anomalous exceptions.

 

Washington and Colorado fans deserve high praise...tbh Nats at least have some really exciting young players like Gore Crews Wood and Abrams to watch.

Edited May 5 by caulfield12

[ptatc]

21 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance

AL/NL Central continues their "seven in a row strangehold" near the bottom...with only MIL STL Cubs the anomalous exceptions.

 

Washington and Colorado fans deserve high praise...tbh Nats at least have some really exciting young players like Gore Crews Wood and Abrams to watch.

Good discussion the other day was the the Sox have had the lowest game starting temp by far this year. The attendancewill increase on warmer weather.

Interesting discussion. The bad team is still the primary reason though.

[Lip Man 1]

14 minutes ago, ptatc said:

Good discussion the other day was the the Sox have had the lowest game starting temp by far this year. The attendancewill increase on warmer weather.

Interesting discussion. The bad team is still the primary reason though.

Agreed.

[ptatc]

21 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Agreed.

Just like any other team going through the rebuilds, it will go up again when they start winning. Except Tampa, they never have good attendance.