Whether Hendry, Dusty or even Ozzy is the reason behind the Cubs’ attendance surge makes little difference to Cubs marketing chief John McDonough.
Despite 95 losses last season, a schedule featuring 75 percent day games and a park that holds less than 40,000 fans, the organization is closing in on the Wrigley Field attendance record of 2,813,854 set in 1999 and the Chicago record of 2.91 million set by the 1991 White Sox.
The Sox are having a decent year at the gate as well. Their late-season surge has attendance above 1.5 million, giving Chicago’s two teams a slim chance to draw more than 5 million for the first time since ’91, the inaugural season for U.S. Cellular Field.
Through Monday’s game, the Cubs have drawn 2,509,707.
Truth is, good baseball sells.
“Usually at this time of year, what we’re reading about is Bears training camp,” McDonough said. “They have a brand-new stadium opening up and they’re almost under the radar screen. I don’t mean it disrespectfully, but baseball is doing so well, the lead stories are the Cubs and White Sox.”
Both teams can shoot for an unofficial one-day Chicago attendance record Tuesday, when the Cubs play a rare day-night doubleheader at home against the Cardinals and the Sox play host to Boston at night. That’s three gate opportunities.
“We weren’t even thinking attendance records [when the day-night doubleheader was scheduled],” said Frank Maloney, director of Cubs ticket operations. The doubleheader is the result of a rainout on Mother’s Day.
“If we made this an ordinary doubleheader, we basically lose the first gate,” Maloney said. “We figured if we split it, we could recapture 75 to 80 percent of that gate.”
For the Cubs, whose home-field capacity of 39,111 is the second smallest in the majors behind Boston’s Fenway Park, the number that is most meaningful is 93.7. That is the percentage of capacity they are averaging, best in all of baseball.
The turnout “impresses me because fans could have turned against us years ago,” said Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood. “But it also shows me the urgency that this city needs a winner, that we’re long overdue. I look at it more that fans are just really eager for that to happen than anything else.”
Fans apparently are just as eager in the major leagues’ other two-team areas. In metro Los Angeles, the Dodgers and Angels already had combined for 5.1 million in attendance going into the holiday weekend. In New York, the Yankees and Mets had drawn 4.6 million, and in the Bay Area, 4.5 million fans had come out to watch the Giants and A’s.
The added fans may have helped the Sox, who have stayed in the pennant race on the strength of their home record. They have won 17 of their last 21 and 22 of their last 28 at U.S. Cellular Field, and have the third-best home winning percentage in the American League at 43-23.
“The fans have been great, [and] we need it to have a home-field advantage, especially for the last month,” slugger Frank Thomas said. “It’s very key. We definitely need the fans to continue to play the way we have.”
Over the last 28 home games, the Sox have averaged nearly 29,500 fans, up from 18,323 in the first 38.
And their total attendance, 1,521,750, indicates a significant improvement over last season, when they finished at 1,676,911. Still, the club likely will fall short of 2 million this season.
While acknowledging “the new mind-set and culture” that manager Dusty Baker and general manager Jim Hendry bring to the team, McDonough makes no apologies for the entertainment element that draws fans to Wrigley.
“This is a ballpark, it’s not a stadium,” he said. “Certainly, we’ve had criticism of the seventh-inning stretch (most recently, rocker Ozzy Osbourne’s less-than-classic rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”), and some of it is justified.
“But we’re also in the entertainment business, that’s why they call it the show. It’s not religion, it’s not politics. You come to a Cubs game, you might see Muhammed Ali, Mel Gibson, Shania Twain or Ozzy Osbourne. That creates interest and excitement.”
Jerry Manuel says recent crowds have been the best he has seen as the Sox manager and says Cubs fans unwittingly have helped.
“There is no doubt,” Manuel said. “They’re really hungry and into it, especially with the Cubs playing the way they’re playing too. They get support over there all the time, and I think our fans are stepping up.
“I think there’s a feeling of competition, of the two teams pushing each other.”
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INSIDE THE ATTENDANCE NUMBERS
CUBS’ TOP 5
YEAR ATT. REC PL GB
1999 2,813,854 67-95 6 -30
Following wild-card season
2001 2,779,456 88-74 3 -5
First place from May 27 to Aug. 17
2000 2,734,511 65-97 6 -30
Don Baylor’s first year as manager
2002 2,693,071 67-95 5 -30
High hopes with 3-4-5 of Sosa, Alou & McGriff. Plus SS Gonzalez
1993 2,653,763 84-78 4 -13
Sosa first Cub in 30-30 club with 33 HRs and 36 SBs
Note: All numbers since 1968. The 1984 NL East championship season ranks 14th at 2,107,655.
CUBS’ BOTTOM 5
YEAR ATT. REC PL GB
1981 565,637 38-65 6 -21 1/2
Strike season, just 57 home gms
1974 1,105,378 66-96 6 -22
Gone from ’73 are Santo, Jenkins, Beckert; 2nd to last in ERA (5.10)
1976 1,026,217 75-87 4 -26
20 games back by June 28
1975 1,034,819 75-87 5 -17 1/2
1st place June 5; 16 1/2 back Aug. 5
1968 1,043,409 84-78 3 -13
Tie league record of 48 scoreless
innings by offense in mid-June
SOX’S TOP 5
YEAR ATT. REC PL GB
1991 2,934,154 87-75 2 -8
First year of new Comiskey Park
1992 2,681,156 86-76 3 -10
Manager Gene Lamont’s first year
1993 2,581,091 94-68 1 +8
First division title since 1983
1984 2,136,988 74-88 5 -10
Within 6 gms of 1st up to Aug. 22
1983 2,132,821 99-63 1 +20
Won West + host of All-Star Game
SOX’S BOTTOM 5
YEAR ATT. REC PL GB
1970 495,355 56-106 6 -42
Franchise record in losses
1969 589,546 68-94 5 -29
19 games back on July 17
1975 770,800 75-86 5 -22 1/2
Allen left for Philly after ’74 season
1968 803,775 67-95 8 -36
Lost first 10; fired Eddie Stanky
July 12; hired Al Lopez 2 days later
1971 833,891 79-83 3 -22 1/2
This despite 23-gm improvement
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Prior to 1994, the Cubs were in the NL East and the Sox were in the AL West.
Prior to 1969, there were no divisions. The Cubs were in the NL and the Sox were in the AL.
— Compiled by Johnny Rosenstein
