Looking at 2012 minor league attendance figures

David Kronheim of numbertamer.com has put out his annual analysis of minor league baseball attendance, and it's got some illuminating tidbits among its 80 pages. You can download the full report at his site, but I scanned through it last night for some of the locally relevant figures.

(Note that when I refer to "minor league baseball," I mean teams affiliated with Major League organizations. Those not affiliated are referred to as independent teams/leagues. All analysis is Kronheim's; I'm just pulling the local figures. I threw in a few nuggets -- Roger Clemens, Rickey Henderson and Scranton's thwarted request to play in Newark last year -- but that's it from me.)

Lakewood BlueClaws

The Lakewood BlueClaws were one of two Class A teams to average more than 6,000 fans per game in 2012. The Claws' 6,031 over 68 home dates trailed only the high-Class A Dayton Dragons, who drew 8,532 for 69 dates and have sold out every game in their 13-year history. Dayton's run of 913 consecutive sellouts -- including postseason contests and an all-star game, and counting -- is the longest sellout streak in North American sports history, according to Kronheim.

Lakewood had the ninth-highest increase in all of minor league baseball from 2011 to 2012, with 28,043 more fans last season for a 2012 total of 410,113. The increase was mostly a result of nine games in 2011 lost because of weather; the 2012 season saw seven more home dates than the previous summer.

Lakewood was one of three Phillies affiliates to lead its league. Clearwater (177,297) led the Florida State League and Lehigh Valley (622,421) led the International League.

Lakewood led the South Atlantic League in both total and average per game and topped 400,000 for the 11th time in its 12 years (those nine 2011 rainouts resulting in the only blip).

The BlueClaws have led the Sally League in total attendance 10 of their 12 years, and in those other two years, they led in per-game average (more than 6,000 every year).

Lakewood's inaugural season in 2001 drew 482,206, still a South Atlantic League -- and New Jersey -- record. That was a "14-fold increase" (emphasis Kronheim's) over the 32,641 that the franchise drew in 2000, its final season in Fayetteville, N.C. Those Cape Fear Crocs drew just 32,641.

In his analysis of minor league baseball in Major League markets, Kronheim put Lakewood in the New York market, which the BlueClaws led. The independent Long Island Ducks were second with 377,473 on 68 dates, followed by the Somerset Patriots (350,295 for 66 dates).

Trenton Thunder

Kronheim places Trenton in the Philadelphia market, where it ranked third with 373,355 fans over 69 dates. Lehigh Valley led, followed by the Reading Phillies (426,623 in 67 dates). The independent Atlantic League's Camden RiverSharks drew 231,987 in its 67 dates.

Trenton set a Double-A record of drawing more than 400,000 fans in 14 consecutive seasons from 1995-2008, but Reading broke it last season with its 15th straight such season.

Trenton's all-time high of 457,344 was set in 1998. Of the 12 current Eastern League cities, only Binghamton (259,183 in 1992) and Bowie (463,976 in 1995) have older highs. Akron's record high of 522,459 came in 1999, but every other Eastern League franchise has set its high after 2000. The most recent were Harrisburg (294,325), New Britain (368,523) and Richmond (463,842 -- its Double-A high), all in 2010.

The Atlantic League

The expansion to Texas was a boon for the league. The new Sugar Land Skeeters drew 465,511 -- a modern-day independent league record. (With two dates boosted by Roger Clemens' starts.) Long Island's 443,142 in 2001 had been the previous high. Sugar Land's per-game average of 6,650 for 70 dates led all independent teams (Winnipeg set the record at 7,161 in 2003). Long Island, Somerset, Lancaster and York were among the eight teams that also topped 4,000 per game. (Long Island and Somerset were among five to top 5,000 per game.)

The Atlantic League's average per date of 4,409 set a new high (4,153 in 2009) and was up 324 over last year. The league's overall total of 2,367,578 led all independent leagues (and is a modern-day record) and was up 419,257, an increase of 21.5 percent over 2011. (Though removing Sugar Land, total attendance fell 46,254, or 2.4 percent.)

An Atlantic League team has led all independent teams in attendance since 1998: Bridgeport (1998-99), Long Island (2000-11) and Sugar Land (2012). Last year was Long Island's first year outside the top spot in its history and its 377,473 was an all-time low -- but still pretty impressive.

The Somerset Patriots' 350,295 was 21,787 fewer fans than in 2011 -- the fifth-largest dropoff among independent teams -- but that was due in large part to five fewer home dates because of weather. The Patriots still averaged 5,308 in 66 dates and have topped 5,000 per game in every year of their existence (posting a franchise-best 376,315 in 2004). Adding the five lost dates at just 5,000 per would have erased the dropoff from 2011 and neared the 2004 high. (But such figures can't be assumed. If the lost dates were in April or May, for example, the Patriots might not have drawn 5,000 on a chilly, rainy school night.) Their season total was still third among all independent teams, and they've topped 335,000 in all 14 years of operation.

The Camden RiverSharks' 231,987 in 67 dates marked another decline, down 12,241 from 2011. It's the team's lowest total in its 12-year history -- but it's still drawn at least 230,000 every year. Camden's high of 313,792 came in 2002.

The Can-Am League

The New Jersey Jackals' season total of 87,206 marked the club's first increase since 2007. Over 46 home dates, that averages out to 1,896. They drew 84,865 to Yogi Berra Stadium in 2011, meaning an increase of 2,341 last year. The Jackals' high of 129,179 came in 1999.

Newark drew 32,056 (just 668 per game) in 2012, its lowest total since the city came back on the scene in 1998. That figure was down 176,526 from 2002, marking the largest decline among independent teams that have been active in that time. (Though it should be noted that the Bears' home schedule now consists of just 48 dates; in 2002, they played 65 home games.)

In 2010, the Bears' last season in the Atlantic League, they drew 117,985 (with a longer schedule). Their modern high was 243,255 in 2001 -- an average of 3,525 per game. The city's all-time high was 342,001 in 1932, when they were an International League affiliate of the Yankees. The original Bears' final season in 1949 drew a total of 88,170, which remains the International League's all-time low.

The Can-Am League's total attendance fell 132,415 (21.1 percent) in 2012 compared to 2011, but that's a reflection of the loss of three teams. Average per date was up 237, to 2,087.

Other local notes

Lehigh Valley IronPigs: Led all U.S./Canadian teams with 622,421 and 9,153 per game ... The IronPigs were the visiting team in their home ballpark eight times in 2012, because the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees played all their games in other teams' ballparks. Officially those attendance figures were credited to Scranton, but if they were added to Lehigh Valley's total, Coca Cola Park drew 688,821 fans in 2012 ... The IronPigs have led the minors in average attendance the past three seasons and in overall attendance the past two ... They've had 290 sellouts since 2008 ... In 2011, the Phillies led Major League Baseball in attendance, and coupled with Lehigh Valley leading all of minor league baseball, it marked the first time that a team led the Majors in attendance and had one of its affiliates lead the minors in the same year. (The 1931 and '32 Yankees led the American League, while their Newark affiliate led the minors.) ... Lehigh Valley is the only team to top 600,000 total fans in each of the past five seasons ... Coca Cola Park's 8,089 seats put it among the smallest in Triple-A, but the IronPigs have exceeded capacity 290 times and topped 10,000 93 times with standing room and lawn seating.

Brooklyn Cyclones: The Coney Island crew had the highest attendance among short-season squads for the 12th year in a row -- 249,009 ... The Cyclones' 6,553 per game also led all short-season clubs for the 12th straight season ... Brooklyn ranked fourth in the New York market (behind Lakewood, Long Island and Somerset -- all in full-season leagues) and outdrew full- or longer-season clubs in Bridgeport, Newark, Montclair and Rockland County, N.Y. ... Brooklyn had 38 home dates, while Bridgeport had 65, Newark had 48 and the New Jersey Jackals had 46. The Cyclones outdrew the Bluefish by 116,870, Bears by 216,953 and Jackals by 161,803. No wonder the Mets wouldn't let Scranton-Wilkes Barre play home games in Newark. ... The Cyclones have 12 of the 16 highest single-season totals in short-season history (Aberdeen, Md., and Portland, Ore., each have two). Their all-time high -- and a short-season best -- of 317,124 came in 2002, their second season. ... Last season's total was up over 2011's all-time low of 245,087 ... With their 38 home dates, the Cyclones outdrew 46 of 60 full-season Class A teams, 10 of 30 Double-A clubs, 12 of 16 Mexican League teams and the Triple-A Tucson Padres ... Brooklyn's 6,553 per game bested all but one Class A team (Dayton), one Double-A club (Frisco, Texas), two Mexican League teams (Monterrey and Saltillo) and Sugar Land. The Cyclones' average also ranked higher than 16 of the 30 Triple-A squads.

 Staten Island Yankees: Things aren't as sunny across the bay. The Yanks drew 141,163 and had the largest loss from 2011 to '12 among short-season clubs, drawing 51,405 fewer fans, or 1,949 fewer per game (the largest per-game loss of any affiliated team) -- and with four more games (38) on the 2012 schedule than they had in 2011, because of weather ... Staten Island's total loss ranked eighth among all clubs, behind four Mexican League teams, Double-A Mobile, Triple-A Pawtucket and Double-A Birmingham ... The Yankees did outdraw Bridgeport in the New York market, but trailed Hudson Valley and Rockland County ... Staten Island's all-time high (209,018) occurred only in 2010, a steep decline in just two years.

Other notes from the region: The Hudson Valley Renegades drew 12,568 more in 2012 than in '11, the best increase among short-season teams. The Renegades topped 4,000 per game for the 19th year in a row -- all in a ballpark with a capacity of 4,494. They've drawn at least 138,000 every year since they were born in '94. ... The Reading Phillies drew 6,368 per game, one of three Double-A teams to average more than 6,000 (Frisco and Richmond were the others). Playing in the same ballpark as in 1982, the R-Phils drew 344,748 more than they did 30 years ago, the biggest gain among Double-A clubs in that time. And yet, Reading saw a 30,334 decline from 2011-12, the biggest drop in the Eastern League. ... The Binghamton Mets drew 259,183 in their first season in 1992, but haven't topped 250,000 since. The B-Mets' 196,929 last year was 12,115 fewer than in '11 (209,044). ... And one historical note: In 1977-78, the Jersey City Indians (with Rickey Henderson in '78) drew just 88,993 combined those two years.

The 2013 HOF Pre-Integration ballot

The Hall of Fame unveiled the 2013 Pre-Integration Era ballot over the weekend, and it includes a New Jersey connection: Jacob Ruppert -- known as the Yankees owner who acquired Babe Ruth -- is also the man for whom Newark's Ruppert Stadium was named.

The Yankees owned the Newark Bears from 1931-47 (when they moved the franchise to Springfield, Mass.), and Ruppert's name was put on the stadium in 1934. It previously had been Davids Stadium and Bears Stadium. Should Ruppert be elected, the glory days of Newark baseball will be well-represented in Cooperstown (beyond the star players who suited up for the Bears and other teams), after the election of former Newark Eagles owner Effa Manley in 2006.

As for the annual player ballot -- you may have heard of it, what with Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, Curt Schilling and Craig Biggio eligible for the first time -- an announcement is expected at the end of the month, and any candidates selected for enshrinement will be revealed in early January.

Just whose Bears are these, anyway?

As the Newark Bears prepare to begin their inaugural season in the Can-Am League, they've got a snazzy new redesigned website (it's quite sharp) and an interesting new set of game times. But that's not what first struck me when I went to the site from Paul's and Phil Hoops' sites.

It's the year in the masthead:

Look, I give the current Bears all kinds of credit for embracing Newark's baseball history -- both that of the legendary Bears and of the Eagles of the Negro Leagues. But, as with the Nationals, I can't get on board with "Since 1917." I'm not even sure "stretching the truth" is going far enough in this instance.

First, it's obviously not the same Bears franchise. The Bears teams of yore were affiliated clubs -- often with the Yankees -- and saw the likes of Yogi Berra and Jerry Coleman call Ruppert Stadium home. The current club's name is certainly an homage, but it's not as if this club is a direct descendant.

Second, Newark hasn't had a team continuously since 1917. There is a pretty significant 49-year gap between the 1949 Bears leaving town and the current version being born. In fact, if you want to get technical about it, baseball was absent from the city for an even 50 years, because Riverfront Stadium didn't open until 1999.

Third -- and this is more tongue-in-cheek and related to how the words in the masthead are read -- there was no internet in 1917. That's taking the words "Official home of the Newark Bears since 1917" quite literally.

And that's where I think some tweaking would help. Maybe "since" isn't the right word there. While "Est. 1917" still might not be completely accurate, because this isn't the same franchise, the first iteration of "Newark Bears baseball" was established in 1917, so there is some truth to that. Or maybe they should go even further back -- add a tagline to the effect of "Carrying on Newark's baseball tradition, established 1877." Since it's not the same Bears franchise, why start with 1917? Why not acknowledge all of Newark's past teams?

I'll admit that (quite obviously), I don't have all the answers. Heck, I'm not sure I have one good answer. I just know that "Since 1917" doesn't sit well with me.

Then the other thing that struck me on the site was the start times for most games (I can't seem to get a link that goes directly to May, when games start, so you'll have to scroll through to get there): On weekdays, first pitch will often be at 5 p.m. And opening day is at 11 a.m., on a Thursday, as is the second game of the season the next day. Considering Newark's attendance problems (177th in average attendance out of 281 professional minor league clubs), I guess they figure they'll try to get more school and camp groups with the weekday morning/afternoon games and also try to keep Newark's 9-5 employees downtown with first pitch set for quittin' time. I can understand that thinking -- how many people would stick around for 90 minutes or two hours after work, killing time before the start of a 7 p.m. ballgame? Maybe a 5:30 first pitch would be more convenient, but for a team that doesn't have television tie-ins and plays in a ballpark in a business (and not residential) area, it's not a bad idea. Now it remains to be seen if it has any effect.

Sun sets on Sussex baseball -- for the last time?

Sun sets in Sussex County

It's kind of a shame that the Sussex Skyhawks won't be part of the Can-Am League in 2011. Various issues -- from attendance to the ballpark lease to both the team and ballpark (owned by separate entities) being up for sale -- led to the club folding.

I suppose, technically, it could be a temporary hiatus. If new owners were found for the team and the ballpark and, if it's not one organization that buys both, an arrangement could be worked out, it's certainly possible that the team could resurface. The Can-Am League would certainly prefer to bring back an anchored team instead of fielding a traveling squad, which is what they'll do in 2011 to give the circuit eight franchises. But I'm not holding my breath.

I'll admit that the distance to that far corner of New Jersey made Skylands Park a difficult ballpark to get to, and while I hadn't been since 2005 -- the last season of the previous tennant, the St. Louis-affiliated New Jersey Cardinals -- I still looked forward to getting back there. The drive up to Sussex County (for me, west on I-80, then north on Route 15) has to be the prettiest route to a ballpark in the state. Once there, the tiny field was nestled among the cornfields and trees, only a few miles from the Appalachian Trail. I seem to recall an article one season about the manager and perhaps a few players or coaches spending the summer camping instead of lining up with host families. Now compare that to league opponents like Staten Island, Brooklyn and Lowell, clubs located in cities, big and small.

There was something so nostalgic about a ballgame at Skylands, and it wasn't just the rural setting and the thoughts of Field of Dreams. The ballpark was designed to blend in with the red-barn architecture of the area. I think the only thing that could've made it more wholesome would've been if it were situated alongside the county fairgrounds. The place oozed Americana. I mean, check out the drive-in across the road.

And so much for the Can-Am fielding three teams in the eight-team league. Now it's down to just the Jackals up the road at Montclair State and the Newark Bears coming aboard. They'll have to come up with a trophy for the head-to-head winner, but it would've been nice to have a three-way, round-robin competition for New Jersey Can-Am supremacy.

Newark delivers history lesson

The Bears' den in Newark.

August 1, 1999

New Jersey's baseball history is rooted in Newark. Sure, one of the first organized professional games was played in Hoboken, but Newark's involvement with the national pastime lasted much longer.

However, in 1949, it all disappeared. The old Newark Bears, at times a Class AAA affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers and then the New York Yankees, were sold to the Chicago Cubs and moved to Springfield, Mass. In 1937, the Bears won the pennant by 251/2 games, went on to win the "Little World Series" and are considered one of the best minor league teams of all time.

The Eagles, Newark's franchise in the Negro Leagues back when too many people felt separation was necessary, also left town, and it took 50 years to bring baseball back.

Baseball's back in Newark with the new Bears playing in the independent Atlantic League at their unfinished park along McCarter Highway and the Passaic River. Officially, it's called Riverfront Stadium, but everyone considers it "The Den." They are the Bears, after all.

Attending a Newark Bears game does have a feeling of history to it, knowing that these players are, in a way, descendants of baseball back in the day when the uniforms were flannel and never included the color teal. My mother came with me on this trip because her family history dates back to Newark's Italian north side, where her grandmother's house was torn down to make way for Interstate 280.

Riverfront Stadium actually borders the McCarter Highway, which runs along the Passaic River. The $34 million park, which makes it one of the most expensive minor league parks in America, is finished enough to play baseball – the concourse and all the seats are complete, as are the clubhouses down the left field line. But the second level – what will become the press and broadcast booths and luxury boxes – is still under construction. A drawing in the program shows what the place will look like, with landscaping and a courtyard surrounding it, when construction is complete. Parking is conveniently close for $4.

These young Bears – who played last season in Bridgeport, Conn., and the first part of 1999 at Skylands Park in Augusta – are owned by former Yankees and Mets catcher Rick Cerone, who was at the turnstiles when the gates opened. Cerone spent much of the game in the stands, signing autographs and even dancing between innings at one point.

Whether or not current players, such as former Yankee Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens, know anything about Newark's history, the game program does a fine job of reminding the fans. Old photos of both the Bears and Eagles appear on the cover and throughout the magazine, along with an article on the history of the current stadium's site as well as team history. It's the best program I've seen after visiting five parks, with detailed player profiles and lots of information about the team history and how Newark got baseball back.

Even the mascot, Rip 'N Ruppert, gets his name from the past – Ruppert Stadium, where those Bears and Eagles used to play in a park named for one–time Yankee owner Col. Jacob Ruppert.

Mom and I settled into our $8 seats just beyond first base, and the first few innings of Tuesday's game went quickly. The Bears' Tim Cain and the Bridgeport Bluefish's Al Sontag battled to a 2–1 Bridgeport lead after four innings. In the fifth, shortstop Cesar Morillo and third baseman Meulens sent back–to–back home runs toward McCarter Highway for a 3–2 Bears lead. Cain couldn't hold it, though, and Bridgeport scored two in the eighth and one in the ninth for a 5–3 victory.

Morillo's homer, because it was the Bears' first of the night, won the couple next to me a free dinner. Later in the night, two more couples competed for Great Adventure tickets. The men tossed up water balloons and the ladies had to hit the balloons with bats. It certainly cooled them off. If you're interested in winning, be sure to sign up for the promotions along the concourse.

As far as food – when it's not under– or over–cooked, it basically tastes the same at all ballparks, with slight differences in selection. I had a decent $2.25 hamburger (again, like the Jackals' game, no cheese) and a great $2 pretzel. Beer – Coors, Coors Light, Sam Adams, Killian's – cost $3.25 to $4. Mom said the hot dogs were good and hot, and the service was very nice. Chicken sandwiches and bags of chips were also available.

The attendance Tuesday was announced at 2,623, but there was a sense that it went way beyond the 6,100 capacity of the Den. With the Bears back in town, Newark has 50 years of baseball to catch up on.

DIRECTIONS: Take the New Jersey Turnplike to Exit 15W. Get on I–280 West to Exit 15A (Route21) Follow signs for Route 21 South– also McCarter Highway. Turn right onto Route 21. At the second light, turn right onto Bridge Street. The stadium will be on the right.