With crowds at Wrigley up, Cubs buck baseball's trend

May 13, 2002

The decline in baseball attendance this spring hasn't been lost on the players.

"It's been the weather and the fact there are no new ballparks this year,'' Cubs catcher Joe Girardi said. "Those are things people don't factor in.''

Cubs manager Don Baylor said baseball's unsettled labor situation might also be a factor, "and maybe it's the play itself,'' he said.

But what the Cubs have witnessed in emptier stands on the road isn't what they have seen at Wrigley Field, where attendance is ahead of last season's April/May pace.

"It's different here, though [fans] haven't had a lot of good weather to come out and sit in short-sleeves, and we haven't played well,'' Baylor said. "In other places you can really tell [attendance is down].

"The new players here haven't seen it at its height yet, like it was every day last year here with people lined up at the ticket office. Probably when we get back from this road trip [to St. Louis and Milwaukee], it's something we'll see.''

The Cubs had their largest one-day ticket sale this preseason, although they already have had three Saturday rainouts which will factor into the final attendance figures. They had two rainouts all last season.

The Cubs are averaging 31,276 after 18 home dates, up from the 25,164 in 18 home dates last season. But their road attendance is down, averaging 24,407 after 15 road games from the 29,504 after 15 last season.

The Cubs ended last season averaging 35,183 at home (2,779,456 for 79 dates) and 34,839 on the road (2,821,982 for 81 dates).

Toni Ginnetti
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