I could write about how the Mud Hens finished below .500 last year, despite outscoring their opponents. How the team was middling in pitching and near the bottom in both batting and on-base percentage, but absolutely drilled the long ball. I could talk about how power hitting is what failed the Tigers last year, and it could very well be what failed the Hens as well.
But, let’s be truly honest … can you tell me what the Hens record was last year? Can you tell me how many games back they finished? How close they were to the playoffs? Who led the team in home runs? (OK, that one’s a gimme.)
My point isn’t a negative one by any stretch. In fact, it’s an amazing truth of minor league baseball: Win or lose, we always come out to the ballgame.
Last year was an odd year. The Hens were an even 36-36 within the friendly confines of Fifth Third Field last season. The pitching was OK, the batters maybe flied out a little more than they should have.
Still, we came out and watched: 545,000 Hens fans filled out the seats at “the Fraction” in 2014. Average it out across 71 games (one of them was a traditional doubleheader), and that’s nearly 7,700 fans per game in a stadium that seats almost 9,000 (85 percent capacity for the year).
Compare that to our major-league brethren — the Detroit Tigers brought in an average of 36,000 fans a game in a stadium that seats 41,000. That math comes out to 88 percent for the American League Central champs.
Across Lake Erie, it’s a different story: Despite a banner year and finishing five games back of the Tigers (and four games back of wild card and postseason Cinderella Kansas City), the Cleveland Indians were not bringing in the fans. Only 18,400 Tribe fans showed up to a game on average. Only Tampa Bay had worse raw attendance numbers, but with Progressive Field seating 42,000, the Tribe clocked in a major league low of 42 percent average capacity. It’s no wonder that the remodel at the corner of Carnegie Avenue and Ontario Street is claiming some 5,800 seats — who needs them?
Sometimes, the sports elitist in me starts to flare up when it comes to Toledoans’ relationship with the Hens and Walleye.
It’s no secret that when a fan walks up to the box office to get a ticket, he or she very likely doesn’t know where the Hens are sitting in the International League standings, or even that they play in the International League at all.
But that’s not why we go to Mud Hens games, is it?
We go down to Fifth Third Field because we support the name on the front of the jersey. We head Downtown because there’s no better way to spend a spring or summer evening than down at the ballpark. We park our butts in the seats because we want to pass the tradition of scoring a baseball game with paper and pencil on to the next generation. I might get a little salty at the between-inning shenanigans, but they’re not for me, they’re for the young ones. And the team? They’re the world famous Toledo Mud Hens, and we’re their world famous fans.
(Also, pork rind nachos are a thing at the Fraction this year. If that doesn’t bump attendance up to 90 percent, then I don’t know you, Toledo.)
“Shaggy” Matt Culbreath is sports director at 1370 WSPD.
