Below the Box Score: 2018 MLB Attendance, Weather, and Ejections. April 16: Eleven Ejections!

We are in the heat of things thanks to a couple of brawls on Wednesday. Between the Padres-Rockies game and the Red Sox-Yankees game, there were NINE ejections, nearly doubling the season total in one afternoon.  But that wasn’t the only excitement this week, let’s take a look.

 

The Miami Marlins made the news last week when they drew 6,150 fans on Wednesday night, a number that was surpassed by their own AA affiliate in Jacksonville.  The rest of the story? The AA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp weren’t the only minor league team to outdraw the Marlins that night.  In AA, Birmingham drew 6,672. In the level below that, A-Advanced, the Potomac Nationals drew 6,322. In the level below THAT, Single-A, three teams outdrew the Marlins on Wednesday: Dayton (7,426), Lexington (7,766), and Greensboro (7,785).  Brutal.

 

Despite that, the Marlins still averaged above 10,000 fans this week, which is better than we can say for the hapless Baltimore Orioles. The O’s averaged 8,985, with no crowd larger than 10,400 during their three game series against the Blue Jays this week. Besides them, Cleveland was the only other team to officially draw below 10,000. A third of MLB averaged below 20,000 on the week which was the previous bar but will have to be lowered due to the number if teams that can’t seem to cross the mark.

 

Weather was still brutal. Sunday had six postponed games, which is the most since 2008 when a hurricane battered the Gulf of Mexico. For those who played, it wasn’t much better. Nine teams averaged the week below 50 degrees while only three averaged above 70. Atlanta and the Cubs played in 24 MPH winds on Saturday in 38 degree temps which sounds absolutely phenomenal. The Red Sox – Orioles game on Sunday was 34 degrees and windy, and it got colder after the start: so cold that the Red Sox gave out free hot chocolate to all the fans in attendance.

 

The good news? All those cold temps speed up baseball games. The average game was exactly at the three hour mark, with only one game going longer than four hours on the full week, and more than half of teams playing a game shorter than 2:45.

 

Kudos to those who braved winter baseball, but on behalf of everyone: let’s give summer a try… or at least Spring?

 

Now finally, as always, your miscellany.  And of course we have included the raw data at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!

 

Attendance:

Lowest attendance last week: Miami (vs NY Mets), Wednesday, April 11th. 6,150

Highest-(Lowest attendance) last week: LA Dodgers (vs Oakland), Tuesday, April 10th. 41,243

Highest attendance last week: LA Dodgers (vs Oakland), Wednesday, April 11th. 49,394

Lowest-(Highest attendance) last week: Baltimore (vs Toronto), Wednesday, April 11th. 10,399

 

Game time:

Longest game last week: St. Louis (vs Milwaukee), Tuesday, April 10th. 4:02 (5-3 St. Louis)

Shortest game last week: Washington (vs Atlanta), Monday, April 9th. 2:21 (2-0 Washington)

Longest average game for the week: NY Yankees, 3:24 average over 4 games.

Quickest average game for the week: Miami, 2:49 average over 6 games.

 

Weather:

Warmest game last week: Miami (vs NY Mets), 83 degrees, Monday, April 9th.

Coldest game last week: Cleveland (vs Detroit), 33 degrees, Monday, April 9th.

Warmest average for the week: Miami, 79.0 degrees over 6 games.

Coldest average for the week: Minnesota, 41.3 degrees over 4 games.

Windiest game last week: Chi Cubs vs Atlanta, 24 mph, Saturday, April 14th.

Windiest week: NY Mets, 15.4 MPH over 5 games.

 

Ejections:

Total ejections last week: 11 (21 on full season)

Ejections by league: AL 4, NL 7. (Season total: AL 6, NL 15)

 

Raw data:

All games

TeamCount of GamesMin AttendanceMax AttendanceAvg AttendanceMin Time of GameMax Time of GameAvg Time of GameMin TempMax TempAvg TempMin WindMax WindAvg WindEjections
Arizona63504147527409222:333:303:095578673148.3
Atlanta51935736788253112:213:433:08385245.632411.4
Baltimore6791533584209402:373:222:58345847.732311.4
Boston63235736341332972:543:593:15345344.7523131
Chi Cubs52977540144344502:573:433:10387448.652413.6
Chi White Sox41006915474115882:553:473:22355946.47119.9
Cincinnati71112820895176552:403:483:07437958.121410.7
Cleveland5984325592138572:393:122:52337449.492212.4
Colorado72029132702254372:393:142:53528168.73189.63
Detroit5984321363130122:393:282:55337451.792211.9
Houston51543840679238532:503:353:20357353.90115.2
Kansas City61232415876145152:453:242:59427960.581911.7
LA Angels61471420363168973:003:283:14427968.271811.2
LA Dodgers54124349394452522:493:503:17647873.4374.8
Miami6615026816106602:273:102:497583790169.2
Milwaukee62603540965346912:464:023:21427055.852013.21
Minnesota41543815521154832:553:353:19354741.3101110.3
NY Mets6615040965202652:273:283:0042836702012.8
NY Yankees42136336341306153:013:593:24385346.5515113
Oakland52535249394341772:403:503:11517859.8052.2
Philadelphia61337220934187122:443:483:11437259.90135.5
Pittsburgh6685240144249962:313:052:53438166.70159
San Diego72029141117276262:323:092:49547768.73159.83
San Francisco72228841117341862:323:242:5655776581512.8
Seattle61232429013202892:403:322:584271550196.9
St. Louis71112835814245262:404:023:14497962.621410.2
Tampa Bay61006920934141712:463:473:17357258.90114.9
Texas51671840679257172:503:283:15647970.80186
Toronto4791525592131372:373:122:55445849.33118.5
Washington71935732702248672:213:432:57458161.731810

Home games

TeamCount of GamesMin AttendanceMax AttendanceAvg AttendanceMin Time of GameMax Time of GameAvg Time of GameMin TempMax TempAvg TempMin WindMax WindAvg WindEjections
Baltimore379151039989852:372:572:50445850.33117.7
Boston63235736341332972:543:593:15345344.7523131
Chi Cubs52977540144344502:573:433:10387448.652413.6
Chi White Sox31006910431102923:023:473:31355945.77119.7
Cincinnati41112819561163652:403:323:00537968.521410.3
Cleveland5984325592138572:393:122:52337449.492212.4
Colorado32029122446213282:392:562:47547566.3395.73
Detroit12136321363213633:283:283:28535353111111
Houston23212940679364042:503:263:08647368.5000
Kansas City61232415876145152:453:242:59427960.581911.7
LA Dodgers54124349394452522:493:503:17647873.4374.8
Miami6615026816106602:273:102:497583790169.2
Minnesota41543815521154832:553:353:19354741.3101110.3
NY Mets32603540965339742:463:283:08426855102016.3
Philadelphia31812720895193742:443:483:18435347.7101311
San Diego42228841117323492:323:092:51637771121513.8
San Francisco33504137869366362:333:243:0255645981411.7
Seattle32535229013267492:403:323:06515552.3010.7
St. Louis33518935814354083:004:023:34497056.751410
Tampa Bay31337220934180492:463:343:04727272000
Texas31671820363185933:073:283:2069797371812
Washington71935732702248672:213:432:57458161.731810

Away games

TeamCount of GamesMin AttendanceMax AttendanceAvg AttendanceMin Time of GameMax Time of GameAvg Time of GameMin TempMax TempAvg TempMin WindMax WindAvg WindEjections
Arizona63504147527409222:333:303:095578673148.3
Atlanta51935736788253112:213:433:08385245.632411.4
Baltimore33248933584328942:543:223:0734534572315
Chi White Sox11547415474154742:552:552:55474747101010
Cincinnati31812720895193742:443:483:18435347.7101311
Colorado42421332702285192:433:142:5852817191813.5
Detroit4984312901109242:392:582:47337450.392212.8
Houston31543815521154863:213:353:28354439.3101110.3
LA Angels61471420363168973:003:283:14427968.271811.2
Milwaukee62603540965346912:464:023:21427055.852013.21
NY Mets36150700365562:273:102:527583790169.3
NY Yankees42136336341306153:013:593:24385346.5515113
Oakland52535249394341772:403:503:11517859.8052.2
Philadelphia31337220934180492:463:343:04727272000
Pittsburgh6685240144249962:313:052:53438166.70159
San Diego32029122446213282:392:562:47547566.3395.73
San Francisco42228841117323492:323:092:51637771121513.8
Seattle31232414850138292:452:582:50427157.791913
St. Louis41112819561163652:403:323:00537968.521410.3
Tampa Bay31006910431102923:023:473:31355945.77119.7
Texas23212940679364042:503:263:08647368.5000
Toronto4791525592131372:373:122:55445849.33118.5