SEATTLE – Yes, it’s early. But, it’s probably fair to say the Mariners have generated some buzz not seen in this town in more than a decade.
“It helps when you’re in first place. Winning solves a lot, we have not given fans a lot to cheer about over the last 14-15 years,” says Mariners spokesperson Rebecca Hale matter-of-factly.
The M’s were the toast of baseball between 2001-2003, averaging over 40,000 fans a night, and the best TV ratings in the Country. But years of bad baseball caused those numbers to deteriorate.
This season, in traditionally tough months of April and May, the Mariners are drawing 26,543 fans on average. That average is expected to rise, as kids get out of school this summer, and if the team continues to win.
Hale says “we’re 8 to 9% ahead of where we expected we would be right now.”
As far as television, ROOT Sports has seen a moderate increase as well.
It also helps that team is “not out of it by May.”
On May 28th of 2012, they were 11 games out of first place.
On May 28th of 2013, they were 10 games out of first place.
On May 28th of 2014, they were 5.5 games out of first place.
On May 28th of 2015, they were 6.5 games out of first place.
On May 28th of 2016, they were in First Place.
Greg Bruce has been selling programs outside Safeco Field for the past seven years, and says this season already feels different, “Much better.”
He says he’s been selling more programs than normal, this early. “If it is August or September and they’re in first place, then it’s gonna be cool, great.”
“The more people that come to the game, the more programs I sell, the more money I make, pretty much it,” says Bruce.
Everyone knows, it will depend on whether the franchise continues to win on the field.
M’s fan Steph Eggers, who at 19 doesn’t really remember the Mariners success between 2001-2003, and wasn’t alive for the 1995 run, only remembers losing teams.
“I’m optimistic,” she says, but her dad is still cautious. “(He) said he will officially jump on the bandwagon if we’ve won 50 games by the 4th of July.”
Copyright 2016 KING