MLB to play a game in LONDON next year ?

[Superphil]

Exactly - Yankee Stadium already hosts soccer games for New York City FC and it certainly doesn't work.

Out of interest, why do you say that? Looks OK to me here. They're averaging just under 30k attendances too.

 

[8ace]

Out of interest, why do you say that? Looks OK to me here. They're averaging just under 30k attendances too.

View attachment 71870

Looks fine to me.
Wasn't that long ago that people on here were tugging themselves raw over the atmosphere at Portland Timbers - who play in (still pretty much) a ball park

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Out of interest, why do you say that? Looks OK to me here. They're averaging just under 30k attendances too.

I've watched 2 games there and it reminded me of being at Withdean - obviously that was forced on us by those whose names shall not be mentioned - it just didn't feel right to me with big gaps down the sides and behind the goal. I guess I'm old school and like watching soccer played in a soccer stadium

 

[Barry Izbak]

$37 per game, not that cheap! When quite a few games are weekday afternoons when people are working.

A Sussex premier cricket membership for perhaps 50 days cricket (T20; T50; CC + overseas tour game) is £250.

PG

And the irony of your post is that Busch Stadium St Louis is close to full every game. They regularly draw 3 million+ fans per season, that's an average of over 37,000 for every home game, weekday late morning starts sometimes, afternoons, nights, weekends, double headers etc. The stadium capacity is 47,000. So that is 80% full for 81 games, win lose or draw (bias alert - they win more than they lose) in what is a small market town.

It is impossible to compare with county cricket. Look at Hove on a weekday afternoon, even on a lovely summer's day. 400? 500?

I'd definitely go along to see a MLB game in London, probably even if it was the Cubs.
I guess it would be a short series like they started the 2015 season in Australia (Diamondbacks/Dodgers if memory serves)

How about an interleague matchup Cardinals / Twins ?

 

[8ace]

I've watched 2 games there and it reminded me of being at Withdean - obviously that was forced on us by those whose names shall not be mentioned - it just didn't feel right to me with big gaps down the sides and behind the goal. I guess I'm old school and like watching soccer played in a soccer stadium

Both Giants teams used to play at the Polo Grounds and the Bears used to play at Wrigley Field. So it's by no means a new thing.

 

[Superphil]

I've watched 2 games there and it reminded me of being at Withdean - obviously that was forced on us by those whose names shall not be mentioned - it just didn't feel right to me with big gaps down the sides and behind the goal. I guess I'm old school and like watching soccer played in a soccer stadium

You must have a different recollection of Withdean than me. I recall average gates of maybe 6000, no roof, no atmosphere, no facilities, only a perfectly acceptable view from the south stand. That Yankees stadium is awesome, the atmosphere I've seen on TV and YT suggests the 30k fans have really got into the team, and I bet their restrooms aren't in portakabins, and you can get a beer.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Looks fine to me.
Wasn't that long ago that people on here were tugging themselves raw over the atmosphere at Portland Timbers - who play in (still pretty much) a ball park

It really isn't.

Your head is constantly cocked at an angle and the home run posts are really annoying.

Ironically, the seats with the best view are the bleachers but your average US soccer fan is not capable of sitting on one for 45 minutes.

 

[8ace]

Ironically, the seats with the best view are the bleachers but your average US soccer fan is not capable of sitting on one for 45 minutes.

Where is that in the photo, by the big screen

 

[Simster]

Looks fine to me.
Wasn't that long ago that people on here were tugging themselves raw over the atmosphere at Portland Timbers - who play in (still pretty much) a ball park

In fairness, the Timbers stadium has been completely reconfigured so that it doesn't really resemble a ball park so much any more. It does look a bit of a mess in some ways as you have pointed out in the past, but it's far more suited to football than baseball these days. And it looks like a cracking atmosphere in the big curved stand behind one of the goals.

NYCFC at Yankee stadium is a complete bodge. Yes, the facilities are there, but in most places you are miles from the action and often facing the wrong way! There are rumours this week that a stadium site will be announced soon - the Yankees owners have just upped their credit line from $150m to $300m fuelling speculation that a stadium is on its way.

 

[Peter Grummit]

And the irony of your post is that Busch Stadium St Louis is close to full every game. They regularly draw 3 million+ fans per season, that's an average of over 37,000 for every home game, weekday late morning starts sometimes, afternoons, nights, weekends, double headers etc. The stadium capacity is 47,000. So that is 80% full for 81 games, win lose or draw (bias alert - they win more than they lose) in what is a small market town.

It is impossible to compare with county cricket. Look at Hove on a weekday afternoon, even on a lovely summer's day. 400? 500?

Except I wasn't attempting to compare crowds. Just prices. $3000 (£2,000+) for a season of 81 games against £250 for 50 days' cricket. If I lived in North Texas I would get a Rangers season. But it would cost me considerably more (admittedly for the best seats) than the summer sport ticket I buy in Sussex.

Incidentally, aren't baseball crowds measured as pretendance ie. on tickets sold rather than bums on seats? I have been at games (eg Oakland afternoon games) where the numbers in the ground were way below the announced attendance.

PG

 

[Peter Grummit]

In fairness, the Timbers stadium has been completely reconfigured so that it doesn't really resemble a ball park so much any more. It does look a bit of a mess in some ways as you have pointed out in the past, but it's far more suited to football than baseball these days. And it looks like a cracking atmosphere in the big curved stand behind one of the goals.

I think gently curved stands work well for atmosphere because they are more intimate. But for football, they are worse for sight-lines (think old Wembley). How is the Olympic Stadium being reconfigured?

PG

 

[Simster]

Incidentally, aren't baseball crowds measured as pretendance ie. on tickets sold rather than bums on seats? I have been at games (eg Oakland afternoon games) where the numbers in the ground were way below the announced attendance.

PG

Yes. Unless we really believe 16,353 showed up for the Marlins v Arizona a few years ago:

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Yes. Unless we really believe 16,353 showed up for the Marlins v Arizona a few years ago:

The beauty of Marlins home games at Joe Robbie Stadium and its many subsequent renamings was that you could buy $5 seats then stroll into the better ones.

 

[Simster]

The beauty of Marlins home games at Joe Robbie Stadium and its many subsequent renamings was that you could buy $5 seats then stroll into the better ones.

Yes, a bit like Palace*.


*When they were in the Championship, obviously.

 

[Del Fenner]

Not sure it being in a football stadium would work. Much like watching football in a baseball stadium. Just doesnt work.

Worked just fine for Derby County.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

You must have a different recollection of Withdean than me. I recall average gates of maybe 6000, no roof, no atmosphere, no facilities, only a perfectly acceptable view from the south stand. That Yankees stadium is awesome, the atmosphere I've seen on TV and YT suggests the 30k fans have really got into the team, and I bet their restrooms aren't in portakabins, and you can get a beer.

Agree to disagree. I've been there twice to watch footie and won't be going back a third time. I'll stick with the Red Bulls.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Agree to disagree. I've been there twice to watch footie and won't be going back a third time. I'll stick with the Red Bulls.

Me too.

And much harder work getting to the Red Bull Arena from where I live