24k for a huge game. If this was early 2000 that game would have drawn close to capacity. The Astros might have really hurt their fan base with trying to be one of the worst teams in the history of baseball thing.
I've read numerous articles that show that it takes more than a season for fans to routinely return to a team that has been bad for a long time. The fans will come. The more important metric right now is that the Astros absolutely are relevant in the city again. From talk radio to the Astros apparel I see on the streets to how much real estate they occupy in the daily Chronicle sports page. It takes time, but we're on the way back.
I have a feeling if we make the playoffs this year awareness of this team will suddenly go through the roof. Then you'll see attendance spike significantly next year.
Also there are A LOT more transplants here that have zero interest in the Stros than in the early 2000's. It was also a Tuesday night and most of us are still getting to know the team since we haven't been able to see them on TV for 2 years. 3-4 years of 100+ losses will kill a bandwagon fan base like Houston as well.
Why do people complain about this? Nobody could watch them on Comcast on top of them also being the worst team in baseball........ How is that hard to understand? It will take time, and Houston fans will show up when it gets closer to playoffs.
Was it really a huge game though? It's July and unless one of the teams sweeps, there will only be a 1-game change in the standings when it's over. Like others have said, Tuesday night + 60% of the city not being able to watch games for last 2 years + 3 years of being a laughingstock = small crowd. I can't imagine a lot of teams are going to draw 30K on a Tuesday night. Wait until this weekend... Already got my tickets for Friday night.
My point is 10 or so years ago the team would have drawn close to 40k in a game like that. It kind of shows how much the astros killed their brand.
24,000 for a weeknight game in July isn't *that* bad. And they weren't routinely selling out weeknight games in 2004, btw - their crowds usually averaged ~ 32-35,000.
Things aren't going to change "overnight" for casual fans, and it takes the thousands and thousands of casual fans to fill the stadium on a nightly basis There are only so many of us baseball die-hards around They will continue to win, attendance will continue to get better I wouldn't have been surprised if it took even longer than it has, we were really bad man, really really bad, for a really really long time
I assume that everyone complaining was there last night? It's a Tuesday night game in July, things will get better.
The crowds have looked much improved from previous years. But they're not gonna start selling out on a regular basis until they are consistently winning. Still, this team is in the playoff race in September, battling for the division or a wild card, you can bet the stadium will be full.
two things: 1. Attendance is largely determined by season ticket base. It's difficult to move season tickets during an offseason following the kinds of seasons the Astros have had of late. 2. I have partial season tickets in the Club level. I got a call last week from the Astros telling me there's no way those tickets will be available to me on a partial season ticket basis anymore next year...that they're already being sold as full season for next year. I've been given the option of paying for full season tickets or moving back within my section. So demand is there. If they finish strong and have fun in the playoffs, they will have a good offseason of ticket sales...and they'll be just fine. By the way...just got an email from them saying bullpen box seats are $15 tonight if you buy them online today from 11 am - 4 pm. I'll be there Thursday night...I expect a much better crowd on a Thursday night...and with Kazmir pitching his first game here.
