OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - LONG Preliminary study on attendance, ticket prices, and fan loyalty

JML · 12-15-2001, 09:04 AM

I don't really have an opinion at the moment about how market size should change, but I want to throw out the situation with the Twins.

Last year's attendance was up something like 70% from the year before. I would not say that fan loyalty changed at all. In fact, it seems that the people here have NO loyalty, and they just started showing up when the team was winning. I WOULD say that this translates into a temporary increase in market size. Not in that the population of the region grew, but the amount of people who would be considered part of the market grew. In fact, I'm sure merchandising revenue went up, since I saw people wearing twins caps and jerseys last season who I would have NEVER seen wearing any baseball paraphernalia, much less twins paraphernalia.

PS: I think Selig's reasoning about folding the twins is that the public has, time and again, refused to help build a stadium. But last season showed that a quality Twins team can draw fans. If dear Mr. Pohlad would sell the team to someone who cares about baseball, I see no reason the Twins couldn't turn it around. Plus, it seems a lot of the reason why people refuse to help build a new stadium is that most of them hate Pohlad, the multi-billionare who puts the least money possible into the team, and pockets the rest.

12-15-2001, 09:04 AM	#7
JML Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The act or process of locating. Posts: 2,154	I don't really have an opinion at the moment about how market size should change, but I want to throw out the situation with the Twins. Last year's attendance was up something like 70% from the year before. I would not say that fan loyalty changed at all. In fact, it seems that the people here have NO loyalty, and they just started showing up when the team was winning. I WOULD say that this translates into a temporary increase in market size. Not in that the population of the region grew, but the amount of people who would be considered part of the market grew. In fact, I'm sure merchandising revenue went up, since I saw people wearing twins caps and jerseys last season who I would have NEVER seen wearing any baseball paraphernalia, much less twins paraphernalia. PS: I think Selig's reasoning about folding the twins is that the public has, time and again, refused to help build a stadium. But last season showed that a quality Twins team can draw fans. If dear Mr. Pohlad would sell the team to someone who cares about baseball, I see no reason the Twins couldn't turn it around. Plus, it seems a lot of the reason why people refuse to help build a new stadium is that most of them hate Pohlad, the multi-billionare who puts the least money possible into the team, and pockets the rest.