We’re not even a whole week into a new MLB season, and the Oakland Athletics are already drawing embarrassing numbers for fan attendance at their home stadium. All that’s left might be a possum again taking over the press box.
Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians saw just 3,407 people fill up a stadium with over 63,000 seats to fill. Of the 13 Triple-A games that took place on Tuesday, 11 outdrew the Athletics, a professional baseball team Four doubled the Athletics’ attendance.
Meanwhile, in college baseball, seven early-week SEC games had more fans in attendance than the Athletics, who are, again, a professional baseball team. These are flat-out embarrassing numbers to tout at the start of a season when excitement for baseball and a clean slate should arguably be at its highest.
Of the 13 AAA games yesterday, 11 drew more fans than the Oakland A's announced attendance of 3,407. Four more than doubled the A's attendance.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) April 5, 2023
The A's also got out-drawn by LSU
…and 7 other SEC midweek games last night https://t.co/Ot78rmr1gn
— PodKATT (@valleyshook) April 5, 2023
It’s not as if you can blame fans in the Bay Area. The Athletics don’t really give them any real reason to attend games in person.
For one, Oakland as an organization has a notorious “sellers” approach any time a talented nucleus shows promise. For the other, the Athletics continually posturing for a new ballpark and location doesn’t sit well with a fanbase that would love to express loyalty … if the feeling was mutual.
These continued low attendance numbers are, in effect, already an unorganized fanbase boycott. Why show up to games if your team isn’t making any real show of wanting you to be there?
It’s only April, and a continued awkward situation for the Athletics already seems quite dire.