The third of my four part series on ranking the pro sports fanbases stops at Major League Baseball. Next week, on Super Bowl Sunday, the series will wrap up with the NFL, at which time the top sports city will be crowned. Right now, here is the ranking, 30-1 for the MLB fanbases.
30. Florida Marlins
Forever known for having attendance figures in just the tirple digits, this young franchise has two World Series titles, but next to no fans to show for it. Maybe a retractable roof stadium will matters, and the weather is insanely hot in Miami during the day, but regardless, the Marlins fans are hands down the worst.
29. Oakland Athletics
The A's are a franchise that has always struggled to draw fans, and Oakland is clearly trumped by the San Fran Giants as the Bay Area's baseball team. Even in good years the A's struggle to draw fans and it's a problem that I don't think a smaller stadium will even fix.
28. Tampa Bay Rays
Fans in Tampa are nearly clueless that the Rays went to the World Series in 2008, because last year Tampa was back to struggling to draw fans. It's kind of hard for a team to have long term success with one of the smallest fanbases around and Tampa in continuing to prove how poor of a sports city it is.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
A team with argueably the best stadium in baseball has no fans to fill the seats. I give the Pirates fans a small pass because of how bad the team has been over the last 15 years, but in any case, this fanbase is small and shrinking in a city that is ruled by the Steelers and Penguins.
26. Washington Nationals
The novelty is quickly wearing in D.C. and fans are growing restless after five years of poor baseball. The Nationals window for grabbing the fanbase is shrinking and in one of the smallest four sports markets, that equals bad news. The Nationals must scramble if they are to avoid being lumped with the former Senators for inepitude.
25. Cincinnati Reds
It's a shame to see the oldest baseball team lose as many fans as they have, but the city's interest in baseball has plummeted since the Red Machine days at the old Riverfront Stadium. Cincinnati is a small market with very little interest in sports, so large crowds may not return for a while.
24. Toronto Blue Jays
I blame this low ranking paritally on the mammoth Skydome, which makes larger crowds look small anyway. But still, the Blue Jays are a distant cry in Toronto from the Maple Leafs and with a lack of success since the early 90's, have slowly slipped into afterthought status.
23. Kansas City Royals
I give the few Royals fans around credit, the Royals have a mainly young fanbase that is very enthusiastic. I read an article a few months ago that interest in the Royals was closing in on interest in the Chiefs. Still, average attendance numbers are low and small market= less fans. Still, good grades for enthusiasm.
22. San Diego Padres
If you want a fair weather fanbase, San Diego is the place to go. A baseball game, even in the heat of a playoff race, is like a visit to the movies or a trip to the beach there, it's just an outing rather than an event. Attendance as dropped as the novelty of Petco Park as waned as well.
21. Cleveland Indians
If the team is not in contention, watch out. I'll probably here flack for this low ranking because the Indians had a long sellout streak during the 90's, but recently, interest has really dipped as the team disappoints and the championship drought grows. Still, this is a fanbase with potential.
20. Arizona Diamondbacks
The team has a big advantage with the retractable roof and air conditioning, something the Arizona Cardinals only got a few years ago. However, ultimately, Arizona is a Spring Training area and the fans, like San Diego, are fair weather. They just draw slightly higher than the Friars from Southern Cali.
19. Baltimore Orioles
The lack of success and sharing the Mid-Atlantic area with the Nationals has severely affected Orioles attendance in recent years. However, this is a fanbase that is known to be rowdy and loud when the team is contention. If the Orioles can turn successful years in the future, this ranking will improve.
18. Texas Rangers
This is a tough fanbase to gauge, Texas has never won a playoff series and fan interest shows accordingly. However, for the lack of success the Rangers draw decently well and also benefit from being in the large Dallas market. Attendance could take off if this team becomes a consistent winner.
17. Atlanta Braves
As fair weather as they come, this franchise was a perennial playoff team as they dominated the NL East, however the fans didn't care as the Braves struggled to sell out PLAYOFF games. Attendance is holding steady from the 90's, which is good news and bad news, in that Atlanta fans don't change.
16. Minnesota Twins
16th is a fantastic rating for a franchise that nearly contracted just six years ago. The Twins will see an interest boost when Target Field opens this year and if they bring success with it, this is a fanbase that has the potential to take off into the top 10.
15. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have benefitted from playing under a retractable roof now as well as the 90's success, but the days of A-Rod and good Griffey are waning and interest is dropping accordingly. This is a franchise in need of a revival in order to bring back some lost fans.
14. Colorado Rockies
A very underrated and rowdy fanbase, Coors Field gets a decent crowd each game and the fans, while not the most dedicated in the Majors, will come out and support their team in good or bad years. The fanbase is very consistent, soething that elevates the Rockies ranking.
13. Chicago White Sox
The South Siders clearly play second fiddle to the Cubbies and simply do not have the consistency that the North Side team has as far as fanbases go. In any case, Chicago fans are hardcore and the White Sox fans are no exception to this rule. With more consistent attendance figure, the CHI Sox could be a top ten fanbase.
12. Houston Astros
For a team that is almost 50 years without a single World Series, the Astros fans impressively still keep showing up to Minute Maid Park. The attendance for Houston is solid, but their fans are a little fair weather, more so then the Rangers from the north, giving the Houston's fans a bit of a hit.
11. Milwaukee Brewers
Like the Twins, this franchise has really regained a large chunk of their fanbase, especially for being a small market team. Miller Park is nearly full on a nightly basis for a solid team and the fans are some of the loudest I've heard in a while (2008 playoffs).
10. Detroit Tigers
Very dedicated fans for over a century, the Tigers have never been the most successful franchise around, but the fans are eager, rabid, and dedicated to their team. Attendance got a huge boost when the team moved to Comerica as the Tigers appear to be the #1 team in Detroit.
9. San Francisco Giants
If Barry Bonds was good for anything, it was for filling seats in San Fran. Attendance has dropped since he left, however this fanbase is still large and prett ysuccessful considering they compete with the Oakland A's across the bay. Solid fans, but more consistent attendance is need for the Giants to get a top five ranking.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
7. Los Angeles Angels
These two teams kind of go hand in hand, the Angels go slightly higher because they actually stay for entire games unlike the Dodger fans. These two teams could be in the top five based on attendance alone, but their fair weather Hollywood type of patrons keep these teams out of that area.
6. New York Mets
Mets fans are some of the most loyal in sports, especially recently with all their mishaps. At the same time, they still play second fiddle to the Yankees in New York and that's not me talking, that's the attendance numbers speaking. Still props, to deication and hardcore-ness of the folks from Queens.
5. Chicago Cubs
I'd be willing to give the Cubs a higher ranking if their fans weren't so rude. The folks in bleachers may be dedicated, but there are frequent run-ins with visiting fans and players, giving other good Cubs fans bad reps. Without the mishaps, the Cubs are likely #3 on this list.
4. Philadelphia Phillies
Ditto with the Cubs, the Phillies frequently sell out on a regular basis, but with their rather rude fans, they are denied a top three spot. I really can't drop them lower because they will Citizens Bank Park and have many loyal and dedicated fans, but the idiots ruin any higher ranking.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
When it comes to class, these are the absolute best fans in baseball and they showed a ton of hospitality at this year's All-Star game. They can't match the sheer fan interest that our top two can, but in terms of fan quality, they are the best in baseball.
2. Boston Red Sox
Getting tickets at Fenway is like digging for dinosaur fossils in your backyard, they are ridiculously hard to find. Recently, Sportscenter has referenced the fanbase to Red Sox nation and though I feel if the Red Sox dipped in the standings the fans would vanish, right now they are there in ridiculous numbers.
1. New York Yankees
As far as I'm concerned, the Yankees are the most popular team in America, hands down, and as far as I'm concerned, will always have the Red Sox trumped. The fans at the games are always energetic and knowledable. The best fanbase in baseball belongs to the 27 time Champion Yanks.
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