Attendance at Nationals Park short of expectations even with Bryce Harper in line-up – MLB News
While one will fancy a sell-out crowd thronging the Nationals Park on a debut by Bryce Harper, nothing like this turned out actually. A 19-year old kid being launched at the big stage and with the hype of being a potential legend in the making is usually
the perfect recipe for the fans to stream in the ballpark.
Stephen Strasburg is another player with everything that can make him a definite crowd darling has not been able to pull the fans to the stadium.
Even the fact that Strasburg now bags the status of being a Pitcher of the Month of April has not motivated the fans much.
Witnessing a crowd way below the total capacity of the ballpark has been a grave concern for the Washington Nationals’ management. Things were expected to change following their first picks of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft and 2010 making Major League
debuts.
The Nationals did launch an impressive marketing campaign, aimed at enlivening old rivalries in the Division and stirring the fans as a result. All appears to be of no avail so far.
Chief Operating officer at Nationals, Andrew Feffer explains that the club is still in its initial stages of existence and has a long way to traverse to establish a healthy fan-base. He further states that, in beginning of the season, it is hard to draw
sell-out stadiums.
“There’s a whole generation that missed baseball for 30 years,” Feffer said. “It’s still a start-up. The biggest challenge, and probably the greatest opportunity, is building the fan base from the ground up. That takes time.”
The fact other sports are underway in town has also been a reason behind this. On their conclusion and coupled with the school vacations being announced, packed houses at the Nationals Parks can become a reality.
It is likely that fans are building up their desire to see Harper and Strasburg and as soon as they get free, they will rush to the ballpark. Perhaps by then, one can say that real impact of the fans presence in the ballpark will be realised.
If the Nationals’ performance in the last month is anything to go by, this season has a lot on the menu for the club to cherish.
They may go on to experience moments they have not gone through since inception. One can predict that fans will take to the park automatically therefore.
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