You obviously don't watch many Marlins games

 

Because the Marlins are a large market team, right?

I live 330 miles away from the ballpark. How far away are you? What a joke.

 

No more of a joke than living six hours from the ballpark and passing judgement on everyone else.

Because the Marlins are a large market team, right?

 

The Marlins have a metropolitan area of over 5 million people to themselves when it comes to baseball. The Sox share a metro area of about 9.5 million people with the Cubs.

Because the Marlins are a large market team, right?

 

Miami-Ft Lauderdale is the 8th largest metropolitan area in the country. If you are going to classify someone like Boston (10th largest) as a large market team, than you damn well better classify Miami.

No more of a joke than living six hours from the ballpark and passing judgement on everyone else.

 

apparently you're either missing my point, or can't read. I was singling out in-town fans who have the best opportunity to easily get to games. People who live 300+ miles away have to spend a substantial amount more on gas or train tickets

 

herp derp derp

The Marlins have a metropolitan area of over 5 million people to themselves when it comes to baseball. The Sox share a metro area of about 9.5 million people with the Cubs.

 

Baseball is not an important sport in Florida. Population matters when considering if somewhere is a "Large Market", but the sport has to be relevant. Baseball as a sport is irrelevant in Florida

Baseball is not an important sport in Florida. Population matters when considering if somewhere is a "Large Market", but the sport has to be relevant. Baseball as a sport is irrelevant in Florida

 

And now you are making excuses.

 

You said "Stop b****ing when people rip the Sox fan base because it's THE worst large market fan base in baseball."

 

Baseball should not be "irrelevant" anywhere in the US for an MLB team, yet people in Miami are simply terrible fans regarding every team except the Dolphins, and Chicago fans are far more passionate about the Bears.

 

Miami fans are terrible compared to Chicago fans, regardless of "relevance."

Baseball is not an important sport in Florida. Population matters when considering if somewhere is a "Large Market", but the sport has to be relevant. Baseball as a sport is irrelevant in Florida

What?! Florida has two major league franchises, about 12-15 minor league franchises and has about a century long history of spring training sights. Pretty rich history with baseball. As for the population, Florida has a large retiree population and as a rule elderly people, generally speaking, follow baseball more avidly than they do other sports. To say it's "not an important sport in Florida", eh, I'm not buying that.

The South Side is 3 times larger than the North Side, for one thing.

 

I live in Oak Park, and Sox fans outnumber Cubs fans I know by like 3:1

 

Growing up (80s/90s) it was a more even split.

 

Bear in mind I said BORN IN CHICAGO.

 

How much of the 36k the Cubs draw every night do you think is comprised of tourists and transplants?

 

Every transplant I know is a Cubs fan. I don't know a single transplant Sox fan.

 

Transplant SOX fan, right here.

 

If you're seriously trying to make a case that baseball is relevant in Florida, lol.

 

You Chicagoans are a treat. Normally you're thumping your chest proclaiming you're #1 in this and that. Being #1 in worst fan bases is an accomplishment when it's of a team that's been around for over 100 years!

Except they're not. Marlins fans are #1 worst.

Let's put it this way - the Marlins opened a new stadium this year. They are set to finish 12th out of 16 teams in attendance. They can't even support the Marlins when they open a new ballpark. The White Sox are going to finish 9th out of 14 teams in one of the oldest active stadiums in the league. In 1991, when New Comiskey opened, the White Sox finished 2nd in the league in attenance, drawing 2.9 million. They can and have supported a new stadium in the past.

 

I'm not going to argue that White Sox fans are good about showing up to the park, because that's arguing against grass being green, but Marlins fans are some of the worst fans in all of sports.

apparently you're either missing my point, or can't read. I was singling out in-town fans who have the best opportunity to easily get to games. People who live 300+ miles away have to spend a substantial amount more on gas or train tickets

 

herp derp derp

Since you want to call out others and use an excuse for yourself, why don't you buy a split season package and donate the tickets to a Boys and Girls Club or something like that?

 

Edited October 3, 201213 yr by Dick Allen

There are Sox fans everywhere in the Chicagoland area. And they're the most passionate fans you'll ever find. When they make the playoffs, tickets sell out within minutes, and the fans go nuts. They show up at Midway Airport, 5000 strong, to welcome home the team when they return after clinching a playoff series. Sox fans live and die with every pitch. I honestly think they're one of the best fanbases in all of sports.

 

The problem is, there's just not enough casual fans or tourists who want to visit US Cellular to draw large average attendance figures at home, and most fans would rather save and wait for the best possible game during the season, the ones that will likely draw big crowds, and since that hasn't been happening, the domino effect continues and attendance figures continue to dip.

Edited October 3, 201213 yr by SouthSidePride05

If more games at the Cell were guaranteed to draw huge crowds, more Sox fans, casual fans, and tourists would want to spend their hard earned cash to experience that lively atmosphere.

There are Sox fans everywhere in the Chicagoland area. And they're the most passionate fans you'll ever find. When they make the playoffs, tickets sell out within minutes, and the fans go nuts. They show up at Midway Airport, 5000 strong, to welcome home the team when they return after clinching a playoff series. Sox fans live and die with every pitch. I honestly think they're one of the best fanbases in all of sports.

 

The problem is, there's just not enough casual fans or tourists who want to visit US Cellular to draw large average attendance figures at home, and most fans would rather save and wait for the best possible game during the season, the ones that will likely draw big crowds, and since that hasn't been happening, the domino effect continues and attendance figures continue to dip.

 

Pretty much this.

 

Take out the "hey we should go to a baseball game!!!!" fans from Wrigley, and they have the same if not worse numbers than us. The neighborhood sucks and it's a pain for most people to get there, not much you can do about that.

Pretty much this.

 

Take out the "hey we should go to a baseball game!!!!" fans from Wrigley, and they have the same if not worse numbers than us. The neighborhood sucks and it's a pain for most people to get there, not much you can do about that.

Why don't they make it easier to build bars and restaurants around the park? Are the people of Bridgeport against it?

Why don't they make it easier to build bars and restaurants around the park? Are the people of Bridgeport against it?

 

The neighborhood it slowly getting better, but there's just way way too many "unsavory" people to completely revamp it. And even if it did turn around, the stigma will be there for a long long time. I lived 4 blocks from the park for about a year and it was perfectly fine, but west of Halsted and east of the highway = no bueno.

 

Comparing attendance figures for the Cubs/Sox always cracks me up as that's what most sad Cubs fans resort to. My typical reply as that literally ANY baseball team in the league could have been swapped with the Cubbies and the results would have been the same. Cubs attendance is 100% neighborhood.

The neighborhood it slowly getting better, but there's just way way too many "unsavory" people to completely revamp it. And even if it did turn around, the stigma will be there for a long long time. I lived 4 blocks from the park for about a year and it was perfectly fine, but west of Halsted and east of the highway = no bueno.

 

Comparing attendance figures for the Cubs/Sox always cracks me up as that's what most sad Cubs fans resort to. My typical reply as that literally ANY baseball team in the league could have been swapped with the Cubbies and the results would have been the same. Cubs attendance is 100% neighborhood.

 

Well it's also a tourist attraction. I have an Uncle who lives in Ohio and has wanted to go to Wrigley Field for years, and he isn't a baseball fan. Me and my Dad took him this year. The Cubs brand appeals to your casual fan. It's fine.

 

As far as what the media says, who cares. I never understood why White Sox fans cared. Anymore there are SO many outlets for baseball news, giving a crap about what the boo yahs or the other national types doesn't bother me. I like the White Sox because I do. I get my baseball news from other hardcore fans/sites (A lot of Baseball Prospects) that publish to fans like me. The boo yah's and others are appealing to broader, more casual audience. Find again.

Why not have some major concerts there like they do at Wrigley? You start getting people to the park who would never go for any other reason and they start noticing what a nice place it is and wouldn't scoff at going to a ballgame in the future.

Great idea. Sox should do this and have the Blackhawks play their once every winter. Why not? Make it happen.

 

The neighborhood it slowly getting better, but there's just way way too many "unsavory" people to completely revamp it. And even if it did turn around, the stigma will be there for a long long time. I lived 4 blocks from the park for about a year and it was perfectly fine, but west of Halsted and east of the highway = no bueno.

 

Comparing attendance figures for the Cubs/Sox always cracks me up as that's what most sad Cubs fans resort to. My typical reply as that literally ANY baseball team in the league could have been swapped with the Cubbies and the results would have been the same. Cubs attendance is 100% neighborhood.

Serious question: Do people of Bridgeport secretly fear the people from East of the stadium will come to their neighborhood and loot and pillage, etc? Just wondering.

The Sox had lower attendance due to expectations and Dynamic Pricing. They lost a good portion of their season ticket base last offseason, which is the biggest cause of attendance drop. People played wait and see. That is very typical. They then try to buy tickets and they are ridiculously priced because they weren't purchased in February. Forget the dynamic deal discount, forget the Sox save of the week, people don't want to go through hoops to buy your product. Set a price and keep it there.

Ironically, Ozzie mailing it in last year probably hurt the Sox attendance this year.

 

That's it.

 

Last comment I doubt had anything to do with it. Kenny giving the impression the team going into 2012 wasn't going to be good hurt more.

Management has been keeping their mouth shut so far.

 

So how is attendance going to look next year? Isnt Sir Rahm closing down the Dan Ryan part of the red line for the entire baseball season next year? Thats usually how I transported myself to sox games, screw paying 25 bucks to park in the lot...

As far as what the media says, who cares. I never understood why White Sox fans cared.

 

Because I think the majority of Sox fans believe that more media attention = higher attendance = higher payroll = better team.

There are Sox fans everywhere in the Chicagoland area. And they're the most passionate fans you'll ever find. When they make the playoffs, tickets sell out within minutes, and the fans go nuts. They show up at Midway Airport, 5000 strong, to welcome home the team when they return after clinching a playoff series. Sox fans live and die with every pitch. I honestly think they're one of the best fanbases in all of sports.

 

So they are so passionate yet tickets only sell out for the playoffs?

 

GMAB with the "Sox fans live and die with every pitch". I was at the Tuesday Detroit game, and the place had no energy at all. A first-place team with a 3 game lead and a chance to put away their rival, and it might as well have been a May game against the Mariners.

So how is attendance going to look next year? Isnt Sir Rahm closing down the Dan Ryan part of the red line for the entire baseball season next year? Thats usually how I transported myself to sox games, screw paying 25 bucks to park in the lot...

The cta will have ahuttle busses as well as having the red line run on the green line tracks