Are there any good numbers on the month-to-month attendance around MLB (even better with historical data)? I've looked but couldn't find anything worthwhile. Naturally, any graph should show a spike during summer...
https://jordanbean.medium.com/analyzing-mlb-attendance-and-temperature-6cb2b1af2bd4 This site did an analysis back in 2018. He has one of the graphs showing average month to month attendance for all games from 1990-2017. April was the lowest (although total average attendance for all those years was much more than what they've probably had the last 5 'normal' years).
Thanks: low in the spring, jumps up in summer when kids are out of school, drops in the fall (to spring levels) for a month and then bumps up the last month or so. Pretty much what you'd expect.
Between this nonsense and the "lets add meals to luxury tax numbers", it seems like both sides are just messing with each other. Neither side is particularly serious yet.
I agree that the meals thing is petty. However, based on the 2000 negotiations, the owners basically kept their same offer the whole time, and games were played only played because the owners scheduled games despite players never agreeing to even though they got their full pay per game. For owners to change their offer, the players will have to drag this out until August. If the players drag this out until August, I think owners get nasty.
On a side note, the expanded playoffs suck unless they make it that the top 2 teams in each league get byes. Basically, this would hurt a team like the White Sox that are gifted an appearance in the division series based solely on their division sucking without hurting the top 2 teams in each league's odds of winning the World Series. Being great in the regular season should get something in the playoffs if they are going to change rules so Yankees can make the playoffs every year.
That is the owners proposal. Top team for each league gets a bye. The rest of the division winners then choose their first round opponents in a nationally televised spectacle a la wrestling.
I would be fine with that proposal as it doesn't dilute best 2 teams in each league's chances. I don't think that will be the way it ends up. I expect players will give the owners a 14-team playoff setup in exchange for something for veterans and craziness will ensue.
It’s not our fight(the fans), let them battle it out in the parking lot. At some point they will grow tired of fighting and the game will be back in 22 or 23. I have zero interest in either side of the fight, I just love the sport of baseball.
Let them continue fighting in the parking lot, they will grow tired at some point. Baseball isn’t gone, just delayed.
I don't understand the "why can't MLB and MLBPA just agree ... because Ukraine!" Maybe the flipside is why should fans be worried if there's baseball this year ... because Ukraine!