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 Minor League Baseball today announced that its 15 leagues and 174 clubs drew 41,252,053 fans in 10,238 openings this regular season. The average crowd of 4,029 represents a 0.9% increase over last year. Sixteen clubs and the Florida State League set regular season attendance records.
“Minor League Baseball faced many challenges in 2011,” Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner said. “Inclement weather plagued our leagues throughout the season. The increased number of lost dates compromised our total attendance, but the key indicator of average attendance remained strong with an increase over a year ago.
“Our teams remain committed to our communities across this country and thank all fans of Minor League Baseball for their continued support and enthusiasm.”
The Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs led all clubs in total attendance (628,925) and average crowd (9,249). Other classification leaders include the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders (509,331/7,276); Class A Dayton Dragons (571,886/8,288); and the Brooklyn Cyclones (245,087/7,002) among Short Season/Rookie clubs.
This season’s total attendance is only 176,090 fans or four-tenths of one percent (0.4%) less than 2010 when 176 clubs attracted 41,428,143 fans in 140 more openings. The Mexican League had two fewer clubs this season, as Chihuahua and Laredo are dormant until suitable playing facilities can be found for them. These two clubs attracted over 209,000 fans in 2010.
2011 Attendance by League:
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International
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6,664,206
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Florida State
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1,296,962
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Pacific Coast
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6,925,290
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Midwest
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3,983,282
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Mexican
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3,322,029
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South Atlantic
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3,125,934
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Eastern
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3,923,381
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New York-Penn
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1,749,891
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Southern
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2,175,505
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Northwest
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913,986
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Texas
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2,822,109
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Appalachian
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295,563
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California
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1,593,398
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Pioneer
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670,886
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Carolina
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1,789,631
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Total
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41,252,053
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Source: MiLB
 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, and is a contributor to Forbes SportsMoney blog.. He is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (select his name in the dropdown provided).
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