Spring training was a home run in Florida this year with almost 1.6 million baseball fans taking in games and all 15 teams playing in the Sunshine State seeing attendance higher than it was in 2014. Average attendance for all 15 teams stood at more than 6,900 fans this year.
This marks the 13th time since 2000 that more than 1.5 million fans have attended spring training games in Florida. Since 2000, more than 25 million have attended spring training games in the Sunshine State.
The New York Yankees, based out of Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, led the Grapefruit League with almost 172,000 attendees, averaging more than 10,100 fans per game. The Houston Astros playing in Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee had the lowest attendance with 47,781 attendees with an average of 3,675 fans for each game.
The Yankees hosted the largest attendance this year when they played the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, March 12. A poll taken by Public Policy Polling last month showed the Braves are the most popular baseball team in Florida with the Yankees a close second.
Gov. Rick Scott cheered the spring training numbers on Wednesday.
Floridas tourism industry creates jobs and opportunities for millions of Florida families, which is why we worked with the Legislature in 2013 to create a program that provides more than $3 million annually to be used only for spring training facilities, Scott said. Its great news that attendance at spring training games is on the rise in Florida and we will continue to work to make our state No. 1 for jobs and opportunity.
Florida Sports Foundation President John Webb said the strong spring training period was the result of a team effort across the state.
We are proud of the marketing and promotional efforts of the 15 teams in Florida, the Regional Sports Commissions, the Convention and Visitors Bureaus and the Florida Sports Foundation staff who spread the word of the Florida Grapefruit League, Webb said on Wednesday. These entities spend months promoting the team schedules, the ballparks and their amenities and the family-friendly opportunities the Florida spring training experience has to offer.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
