Minor League Baseball continued to buck the economy for 2010, with fans continuing to come to games. The 15 leagues and 176 clubs drew 41,432,456 fans in 10,379 openings for an average crowd of 3,992. This season’s total attendance is only 0.5% less than last year when the industry attracted more than 41.6 million patrons.

The Eastern, Florida State and Midwest Leagues, along with 21 clubs, established new season records, helping Minor League Baseball top the 41.3 million fan mark for the sixth consecutive year.

“Once again, Minor League Baseball is showing its resiliency in the current economic conditions,” Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner said (read the 2008 Biz of Baseball interview with O'Conner). “While the economy sputters in many areas of the country, our fans continue to respond to our product. For Minor League Baseball to be down less than one percent in season attendance is truly a testament to the loyalty of our fans and the hard work of our teams.

“Had we not experienced difficult weather and had 100 games postponed in August, it is possible we would have recognized an increase in attendance this year.

“Playoff attendance has been strong, with many post-season series drawing far better than in years past. We are very pleased with our 2010 results and the energy and momentum we have carried into our playoff season,” O’Conner added.

2010 Attendance by Leagues

Source: Minor League Baseball

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey, as well as a contributor to FanGraphs and Forbes SportsMoney. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.

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