The Other Numbers Game

The final 2005 MLB attendance numbers are out, and while the list is topped by the usual suspects, there are some rather surprising names up there as well. The table below (sorted by where each team finished in the division) shows the attendance numbers and payroll for each of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball for 2005. The Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees, and Giants were the only teams to crack the 80% overall attendance number (see table legend for further explanation), with the Angels, Cardinals, Astros, Dodgers and, Padres all drawing over 75%. The astute observer would note that six of these teams made the playoffs this year, while of the three remaining, teams, none finished worse than fourth in their division.

Another interesting fact to take note of is the payroll dollars to home attendance ratio (P/A), and how this ratio seems to have no bearing on where each team finished. Combining these two observations seems to reinforce the notion that putting a winning product on the field regardless of the price is what really draws fans to the ballpark and, at least anecdotally, gives your team a better chance of making the postseason. Just some food for thought as the postseason winter meetings get underway later this year and the free agent signings start in earnest.

NL EAST

Team	Home*	Road*	Overall*	Record	Payroll**	P/A***
ATL	62%	72%	67%	90-72	$86.5	$34.60
PHI	76%	63%	69%	88-74	$95.5	$36.73
NYN	61%	77%	68%	83-79	$101.3	$36.18
FLA	62%	71%	67%	83-79	$60.4	$33.56
WAS	74%	69%	72%	81-81	$48.5	$17.96

NL CENTRAL

Team	Home*	Road*	Overall*	Record	Payroll**	P/A***
STL	86%	69%	78%	100-62	$92.1	$26.28
HOU	84%	67%	75%	89-73	$76.8	$27.83
MIL	64%	65%	65%	81-81	$39.9	$18.14
CHN	98%	80%	88%	79-83	$87.0	$28.07
CIN	57%	73%	65%	73-89	$61.9	$32.63
PIT	60%	72%	67%	67-95	$38.1	$21.11

NL WEST

Team	Home*	Road*	Overall*	Record	Payroll**	P/A***
SD	83%	67%	75%	82-80	$63.3	$22.50
ARI	51%	71%	60%	77-85	$62.3	$29.53
SF	95%	68%	81%	75-87	$90.2	$29.03
LA	79%	72%	76%	71-91	$83.0	$23.06
COL	47%	68%	57%	67-95	$48.2	$26.26

AL EAST

Team	Home*	Road*	Overall*	Record	Payroll**	P/A***
NYA	87%	81%	85%	95-67	$208.3	$50.73
BOS	97%	80%	87%	95-67	$123.5	$43.93
TOR	48%	65%	57%	80-82	$45.7	$22.84
BAL	67%	66%	66%	74-88	$73.9	$28.21
TB	32%	64%	48%	67-95	$29.4	$25.89

AL CENTRAL

Team	Home*	Road*	Overall*	Record	Payroll**	P/A***
CHA	71%	62%	67%	99-63	$75.2	$32.69
CLE	56%	61%	59%	93-69	$41.5	$22.11
MIN	51%	61%	56%	83-79	$56.2	$28.00
DET	63%	57%	60%	71-91	$69.1	$32.86
KC	42%	57%	50%	56-106	$36.9	$27.69

AL WEST

Team	Home*	Road*	Overall*	Record	Payroll**	P/A***
ANA	93%	65%	79%	95-67	$97.7	$28.53
OAK	59%	65%	62%	88-74	$55.4	$26.38
TEX	64%	60%	62%	79-83	$55.9	$22.36
SEA	70%	61%	66%	69-93	$87.8	$32.52

*Average capacity ((attendance/capacity)*100) at home, road, and overall (home & road combined)
**Estimated 2005 team salary in millions of dollars
***P/A — payroll divided by total fans drawn at home ($ per fan)

Attendance figures from ESPN.com

When he’s not cramming for an exam or putting off yet another project, you can probably find Nate Rhodes somewhere in the Baseball Cafe forums posting as SaintsOfTheDiamond.

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