AUBURN — Nearly 53,000 fans attended Auburn Doubledays games at Falcon Park in Auburn during the 2016 season. It marks the third straight year of attendance growth for the Doubledays, the team said in a news release issued Sept. 12. A total of 52,811 fans attended the club’s 37 home games, an average of 1,427 […]
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AUBURN — Nearly 53,000 fans attended Auburn Doubledays games at Falcon Park in Auburn during the 2016 season.
It marks the third straight year of attendance growth for the Doubledays, the team said in a news release issued Sept. 12.
A total of 52,811 fans attended the club's 37 home games, an average of 1,427 per game, the Doubledays said.
Mike Voutsinas, general manager of the Auburn Doubledays, called the attendance-increase figures a “nice reward for the hard work” of the team’s staff.
“It’s a credit to the staff for putting in the time and coming up with some good programs and promotions. It’s a credit to the community and our fans for responding to those,” he adds. Voutsinas spoke with CNYBJ on Sept. 20.
The minor-league baseball team averaged 1,408 fans per game in 2015 with total attendance of 50,670 for 36 home games.
The Doubledays drew 44,640 fans for 36 games in 2014 for an average game attendance of 1,240, while the team attracted 39,381 fans for 34 games in 2013 for an average game attendance of 1,158, according to the website of Minor League Baseball.
Average attendance for Doubledays’ home games has increased about 23 percent in three seasons under the direction of the current management team, according to Voutsinas.
The Auburn Doubledays are a Single-A short-season affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals. They play in the New York-Penn League.
A season-high 2,938 fans attended the Doubledays’ July 4 victory over Lowell, one of six crowds larger than 2,000 fans this season, the team said.
Fan cost index
The average cost for a family of four to attend an Auburn Doubledays home game at Falcon Park is $50, which is 23 percent lower than the minor-league average.
That’s according to a news release about the Minor League Baseball 2016 Fan Cost Index posted July 7 on the Doubledays website.
The average cost for a family of four to attend a minor-league baseball game this past season was $64.97, according to the 2016 Fan Cost Index.
The price includes parking, two adult tickets, two child tickets, four hot dogs, two sodas, and two beers.
In its release, St. Petersburg, Florida–based Minor League Baseball boasted that “attending one of its games is, yet again, one of the most economical forms of family entertainment available.”
Nationals renew
The Washington Nationals have renewed their player-development contracts with the Doubledays through the 2018 season.
Mike Rizzo, Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager; Bob Boone, Nationals VP and senior advisor to the general manager; Doug Harris, assistant general manager and VP of player personnel; and Mark Scialabba, director of player development made the joint announcement in a Sept. 13 news release.
“I think again, that’s a result of our hard work to make sure that we’re providing the Nationals and their players what they expect at this level,” says Voutsinas.
Washington also announced a similar renewal with Single-A Potomac of the Carolina League. With the agreements, the Nationals franchise has now extended all of its minor-league affiliates through the 2018 season. The Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs are also a Nationals minor-league affiliate.
The Nationals began their relationship with Auburn in 2010, making it the first stop for many of their players as they begin their ascent through baseball’s minor-league system.
In the last six years, Auburn has posted a 215-235 record with division championships in 2011 and 2012.
Current Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon and pitchers Aaron Barrett, Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo Lopez spent time with the Doubledays, the parent club said.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com