Colorado Rockies news and links for Friday, October 4, 2024
It’s that time of year again — that time when Rockies fans look at the final attendance numbers.
It’s become a perennial tradition like no other. A ritual where we see if the team’s depressing record had any impact on attendance at Coors Field. If the numbers drop enough, we dream that the hit to Dick Monfort’s bottom line will force a shift in thinking and organizational operation from the top down.
Well, the numbers are in, and guess what? Attendance is down, but not by much. So let’s dive in.
Overall Numbers
This season, as the Rockies went 61-101 in their second consecutive season, the Rockies totaled 2,540,295 fans at Coors Field, which ranked No. 15 in Major League Baseball. That breaks down to an average of 31,361 people per game. In total, 67,640 fewer fans came to Coors Field in 2024 compared to 2023, which averages out to about 835 per game.
Last season, the Rockies ranked No. 13 overall, in 2022 they were 10th and in 2021 they were ninth. Taking out the fanless 2020 season, the Rockies have dropped in attendance five years in a row. If you compare the attendance from 2018, the last time the Rockies made the playoffs, to 2024, the number drops by 475,585 people. That’s an average of 5,872 fewer fans each game.
While the Rockies finished in the middle of the pack in attendance, they beat out six playoff teams: Detroit, Kansas City, Baltimore, Cleveland, New York (Mets) and Milwaukee.
The 2024 overall and per-game attendance are the seventh worst in the organization’s history. The only years with lower attendance were in the five seasons from 2003-07, 2015, and 2021, when the season started with limited attendance with COVID restrictions.
While the Rockies are trending down, attendance across the league had its biggest total increase since 2017 with over 71 million fans (up 1% from 2023). Both this season and last season combined to be “the first time MLB attendance has registered back-to-back attendance gains in 12 years (since 2011-12). Since the institution of the new [pitch clock] rules, attendance has grown by nearly 6.8 million marking a +11% increase since 2022.”
Biggest and Lowest Draws
The Rockies drew at least 47,000 fans 10 times this season. Opening Day was tops. Three games in the top six featured post-game fireworks and three of the top 10 were against the Dodgers (one of those also had fireworks). Seven of the top 10 featured promotional giveaways, including a Todd Helton bobblehead, which was given out to the first 30,000 fans, on Helton’s Coors Field celebration of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The most sparsely attended game of the season came early on against the Diamondbacks when only 18,311 fans showed up for a Wednesday afternoon game. It was one of nine games that didn’t pass the 20,000-fan mark.
Does It Matter?
Usually, owners are compelled by a desire to win. If not, usually greed is a strong motivator. For Dick Monfort, the winning and the attendance are both declining. Logic would suggest something has to give.
Attendance is not likely to drastically tank since Coors Field remains a fun summer destination and a home away from home for opposing teams. The front office knows that fireworks and promotions work, boosting attendance significantly. For Rockies fans, the team has talented young players like Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle with more top prospects on the way. Michael Toglia led the charge as Colorado hit more homers. There are some exciting young players and more MLB debuts coming in 2025.
On the downside for Colorado’s attendance numbers, the face of the franchise, Charlie Blackmon, retired. There won’t be any Rockies Hall of Fame celebrations any time soon. The health and futures of Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela are uncertain and the outlook for the pitching staff is murky at best. The Rockies also have Kris Bryant’s massive contract taking up $27 million from 2025-28.
Perhaps a new coaching staff would spark a change in wins and attendance? Maybe the next generation of Rockies will usher in wins? Could a shift in philosophies deliver an effective altitude game plan that results in victories?
With back-to-back 100-loss seasons, it seems like something should change. But No. 15 in the attendance rankings might not be enough of a gut punch to instigate change in the mysterious mindset of the Rockies front office.
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Where Rockies rank in spending per win in Major League Baseball | 9news
The Rockies won 61 games in 2024 and they each cost $2.39 million, according to a story in the Pittsburgh Business Times, which was also published in the Denver Business Journal ($). The total, calculated from Colorado’s $147.35 million payroll, put the Rockies at No. 13 in MLB. The Padres, with 95 wins and a $207.31 million payroll, proved to have the best bang for their buck at $1.8 million per win.
Meeting a childhood hero: the Colorado Rockies Vinny Castilla | CBS News Colorado
CBS News Colorado’s Dagoberto Cordova shares a great story about following Vinny Castilla’s career since he was a 10-year-old kid. Cordova has looked up to the Mexican-born star ever since and got to meet and interview his hero. Everyone loves Vinny and here are more reasons to keep loving him.
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