Baseball fans who thronged new stadiums in the 1990s regardless of thequality of the teams are proving more discriminating in the 2000s, accordingto The New York Times. If you build it, they will come, says the article - but only for a while.
Of the 13 parks that opened in the last 13 years, attendance has declined at 11 of them. Only Safeco Field in Seattle and Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco are packing in the fans, and both of those teams are enjoying on-field success. "The notion that a new park is a panacea has been disproven," said Steve Greenberg, the former deputy commissioner of baseball and the managing director at Allen & Company, a media and sports investment banking firm. "I think a new park is one factor, but clearly the market, the performance of the team and the overall aura of baseball are other factors." However baseball executives insist that teams with new parks are better off than they would have been if they had stayed in their old stadiums. The Times article does not analyze the financial impact on cities and states who helped build the ballparks in return for a share of revenue.
Thanks to Dateline APA
FULL STORY: New Parks Lose Magic Quickly
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