Turnstiles

[Guest AG/DC]

I don't know what to conclude, but "new ballpark effects are a lie" is a fair (though not necessarily accurate) inference to draw.

Team	Avg. Att.
NYM	49,841
LAD	46,622
STL	41,036
CHC	39,938
PHI	39,122
HOU	33,817
MIL	33,764
SFG	33,617
COL	32,517
SDP	30,770
WSN	29,686
ATL	29,646
ARI	28,692
CIN	21,713
FLA	15,114
PIT	15,114

Another possible conclusion: having the best record in baseball supresses attendance.

[soupcan]

Sorry - I thought this was a 'Bad Billy Joel Albums' thread.

[Guest AG/DC]

Well, one of the things I most dislike about Nationals Park is the Glass Houses fa�ade.



Baseball and glass mix not.

[Willets Point]

A Washington ballpark should have a marble facade with big columns and arches.

Seriously. You take the exterior of say Washington's Union Station and make a few modifications and you'd have a great looking entrance to a ballpark.

[bmfc1]

soupcan wrote: Sorry - I thought this was a 'Bad Billy Joel Albums' thread.

My favorite Billy Joel album. It has "Summer, Highland Falls."

[Guest AG/DC]

Can you imagine what a good architect could do with a neoclassical ballpark?

[Fman99]

="AG/DC"]I don't know what to conclude, but "new ballpark effects are a lie" is a fair (though not necessarily accurate) inference to draw. Team Avg. Att. NYM 49,841 LAD 46,622 STL 41,036 CHC 39,938 PHI 39,122 HOU 33,817 MIL 33,764 SFG 33,617 COL 32,517 SDP 30,770 WSN 29,686 ATL 29,646 ARI 28,692 CIN 21,713 FLA 15,114 PIT 15,114 Another possible conclusion: having the best record in baseball supresses attendance.

:sigh:

Good thing our new ballpark isn't large enough (by 4-5K seats) to accomodate this year's average attendance.

Dopes.

[Guest Mr. Zero]

I'm sure ticket prices will more than make up for the attendance gap.

[stevejrogers]

Oversaturation of new ballparks probably did in the new ballpark "spike" just as much as the quality of the teams in said new ballparks.

[G-Fafif]

The fairer metric is how the Nats are drawing in 2008 versus 2007 at RFK. Lots of crowds in the teens in April '07. More in the 20s this year, with a rise for popular visitors Mets and Cubs. Last-placeness probably going to take the edge off novelty factor after a fashion.

Thought it a pleasant place, marked improvement over Federal Baseball Penitentiary encampment, ultimately the epitome of nothing special. But I was just day-tripping.

[Guest AG/DC]

The average attendance in April of last year at RFK was 21,292.

Three of the remaining old stadia are in the top four in attendance so far this season.

[Frayed Knot]

AG/DC wrote: Can you imagine what a good architect could do with a neoclassical ballpark?

So you believe there'd be time for meditation in cathedrals of their own?

[Benjamin Grimm]

What's really amazing is that there are only four teams left in the NL that can be said to have "old" stadiums.

Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, and Marlins.

Are we looking ahead to a time when only the Cubs, Dodgers, and Red Sox have parks that were built before 1990? (Am I missing anyone? Maybe Toronto... do they have a new ballpark on the horizon?)

[stevejrogers]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: What's really amazing is that there are only four teams left in the NL that can be said to have "old" stadiums. Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, and Marlins. Are we looking ahead to a time when only the Cubs, Dodgers, and Red Sox have parks that were built before 1990? (Am I missing anyone? Maybe Toronto... do they have a new ballpark on the horizon?)

I haven't seen anything about Toronto.

I know Minny has one coming in a couple of years.

Also in this area the Islanders are due for a new stadium as well. No clue about the Nets, looks like that situation is up in the air, but pretty soon just MSG will be the only place in the NYC metro area (counting the Meadowlands, Newark and LI) that will be built before 2009!

[Guest themetfairy]

Ballparks of Baseball Lists Upcoming Parks


2009 - The Mets & that team in the Bronx
2010 - Minnesota
2011 - Marlins
2012 - Rays
No earlier than 2012 - A's (moving to Fremont)

[seawolf17]

Hands down, it's the best Billy Joel album. Maybe "Songs From the Attic" gets a few points, but it's a live album, so it doesn't count. Turnstiles has great songs, top to bottom. (Except maybe "James," which is boring.) "Summer Highland Falls" and "Angry Young Man" are all you need. Classic.

[Willets Point]

"Songs From the Attic" is the best album because it gives the full-band treatment that the songs deserve. I have a soft spot for "Glass Houses" if only because it was the first record I owned, and by record I mean vinyl LP.

[nymr83]

]I don't know what to conclude, but "new ballpark effects are a lie" is a fair (though not necessarily accurate) inference to draw.

what were the Mets average attendances the last few years both overall and this early in the season? there might be a "last chance to see shea" effect too.

[Guest AG/DC]

The 2007 Mets averaged 44,525 through April 30 and 42,487 through May 7.

Remember also that last spring was unprecedentedly wet.

[DocTee]

I thought the Rays had a 30 year (!) lease at Tropicana??

[TransMonk]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Are we looking ahead to a time when only the Cubs, Dodgers, and Red Sox have parks that were built before 1990? (Am I missing anyone? Maybe Toronto... do they have a new ballpark on the horizon?)

Skydome opened in 1990 if I recall correctly...I was on a high school trip to Toronto the year it opened. It's still pretty "new" in terms of having the roof and all. Although, I think all of those retractable roof stadiums designed in the '90s already look about as dated as grunge rock sounds.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Kansas City and Anaheim also still have "legacy" stadiums.

I'm pretty sure SkyDome is older than 1990, though. I'll have to look it up.

[Guest Triple Dee]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Kansas City and Anaheim also still have "legacy" stadiums. I'm pretty sure SkyDome is older than 1990, though. I'll have to look it up.

I thought it was older than 1990 too. It turns out it is, but not by much - the Blue Jays moved into the Skydome midway through the 1989 season.

[Guest themetfairy]

Skydome a/k/a The Rogers Centre opened June 5, 1989.

[G-Fafif]

Today's Flashback inspired a little by this discussion of attendance and some by the thread on the 25th anniversary of the first blossoming of Strawberry (and mostly by the general malaise in Metsland caused by our pretty good team not being great). Thought resident 1983heads might enjoy it.

[Guest AG/DC]

The Crane Pool Resident 1983-Heads are having our annual chapter meeting tonight in my bed.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Oh.

I'm glad I'm behind on my dues.

[G-Fafif]

AG/DC wrote: The Crane Pool Resident 1983-Heads are having our annual chapter meeting tonight in my bed.

Sorry, we don't make housecalls.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

AG/DC - "Baseball and glass mix not."

A costly lesson my childhood.

[Guest AG/DC]

No doubt.

And it's not just the outside, On the inside at Nationals Park, or the Ballpark to Be Named Later, they have these plexigass walls in the front of the sections, rather than heavy metal handrails the way John McGraw meant there to be.