May 31, 2003 [LINK]

Attendance is lagging

Yesterday's Washington Post brought to light a discouraging downward trend in baseball attendance. Teams such as Cleveland, Detroit, and Pittsburgh have seen their attendance drop as much as 16% compared to last year. Attendance at Cincinnati's new "Great American Ballpark" has surged 31% over last year, but that was not as much as was hoped for. It would appear that the novelty of the new "retro" / neoclassical stadiums has begun to fade, and several cities are wondering if their massive investments will ever pay off.

GOOD GRIEF! Derek Jeter's return to the Yankees lineup has coincided with a sudden slump in the team's fortunes. For several days the Red Sox were in first place, but now things seem to have returned to normal. Atlanta, Montreal, Seattle, and Minnesota are all still red hot.