That’s one good takeaway of the first week of spring training games at Surprise Stadium, where attendance has slightly dropped from last year to start …
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That’s one good takeaway of the first week of spring training games at Surprise Stadium, where attendance has slightly dropped from last year to start the season — but nowhere near as much as some of the other teams in the Cactus League.
Despite mostly good weather after series of rainouts Feb. 22, Cactus League attendance was way down for the first week of the season over last year’s full spring totals.
Through the first 43 games of spring at the 10 venues across the Valley, attendance is down more than 3,000 fans a game, mostly due to another early start to the spring season. It will take another rally in the three weeks of games in March for the league to match or exceed last year’s totals.
Last year, Cactus League attendance fell 2.1% overall from 2018 to 1,737,975 fans total. But the average game figure went up 2.8% to 7,900 fans per game.
“The ticket prices are getting a little high, but otherwise we love coming here,” said Evelyn Lawford, a Chicago Cubs fan from Naperville, Illinois, who watched the Cubs play the Texas Rangers on Feb. 27.
Surprise drew just under 4,400 fans for its first six home games, including that Cubs game. That was about 700 less than last year’s average, but it was nothing compared to other Cactus League teams, some of which have seen drops of 3,000 to 4,000 fans to start the season.
It’s a problem facing both Arizona and Florida spring training teams since Major League Baseball went to an earlier regular season schedule prior to the 2018 season.
With most families waiting to travel for spring break in March, teams are left hoping for the best for February games now.
Not that the fans who do show up mind.
“There is a lot of room on the lawn,” said Pete Kuskick of Phoenix. “I like that it’s relaxed.”
Getting there
This season there are new ways to get to the game, but so far they don’t appear to have made much of a difference.
Surprise Towne Center, the shopping center anchored by Target at Bell Road and Grand Avenue, has been offering a free trolley shuttle to Thursday through Sunday games to help encourage traffic to the restaurants and shops where fans leave their cars.
“It’s hard to get the word out because it’s new,” said Karli Adam, marketing manager for Surprise Towne Center. “We need to get all the people we can get here to eat, shop and dine.”
So far, only as many as three fans have taken the shuttle to a game. Leannah Palmire of Driver Provider, the company operating the trolley, said the bus can fit about 34 fans inside.
Ms. Palmire said she hopes it catches on before the season is over because the company offers the service at other shopping malls across the Valley with good response.
“Really for whatever comes to town,” Ms. Palmire said. “We’ll even meet them at airports and send them on their way.”
On Twitter, Surprise Stadium has posted a contest to win two-day passes for the Extra Innings music festival by retweeing “#RidetheTrolley from #SurpriseMarketplace to the stadium every Thursday through Sunday.”
Fans who show their ticket stubs can get deals at the businesses in the shopping center. Ms. Adam said the stub doesn’t even have to be a Surprise Stadium game, but one from any of the spring training venues this season.
“As long as it’s same-day, it doesn’t matter where it’s from,” Adam said.
The trolley is just one new way to get to Surprise Stadium this spring. The city is also under a pilot program for electric scooters, although it doesn’t appear to be a factor, either.
Workers at the memorabilia team shop next to the outfield gate at Surprise Stadium said they haven’t seen anybody use the five electric scooters that are parked on the corner of Buck O’Neil Way and Bullard Avenue.
Sports and Tourism Director Kendra Pettis said she has seen some Texas Rangers players riding the scooters from the team’s housing facility across the street on Bullard Avenue to the stadium, but she hasn’t seen many fans using them.
Ticket deals
Tickets range from $8 for $40, unless it’s a game featuring the Cubs, San Francisco Giants or Los Angeles Dodgers, in which premium prices put the cost in the $14 to $45 range.
Fans can save money on food with the all-you-can-eat Legends Deck for $40. Or fans can pay $20 to add the option to their existing tickets.
A different company caters lunch each day. The lineup includes Dickey’s, Carrabba’s, Boston Market, Bonfire Craft Kitchen and Taphouse, The Links Neighborhood Grill and Saigon Kitchen.
The Surprise Sports and Tourism Department has also tried to lure as many fans as possible with promotions throughout the week. Surprise residents and members of the military even have designated days to receive discounts off the ticket prices.
Editor’s Note: Jason Stone can be reached at jstone@newszap.com. Visit yourvalley.net.
Former NAU Lumberjack who loves going to concerts (or I did), watching sports (or I did) and hanging out with friends (oh, never mind). I also enjoy backgammon, surfing and men who are not afraid to cry.
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