Baseball's attendance fails to soar

Looks like there is more to a COVID recovery than symbolic openings

We had the narrative all written. It was part of the “getting back to normal” series.

Baseball parks would open across the country and entertainment-starved fans would line up at the turnstiles. We’d still have to be COVID-cautious of course. And attendance would be limited to about 25 percent of capacity, so tickets might be hard to come by.

But a game, a hot dog and a beer —served touchlessly of course — would not only be a pleasure, it would be a symbol and an announcement that we’re almost to the end of the miserable year of COVID-19.

Not so fast.

As first pointed out by the Merc's Kerry Crowley the Giants are experiencing the truism once expressed by Yogi Berra, “If people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody is going to stop them.”

The team made nearly 9,000 seats available for games, and had a respectable 7,390 for the home opener, a Friday day game on April 9. But by Monday night, attendance was down to 3,662. The team has yet to sell out a game, even with fewer than a quarter of the 42,000+ seats available.

Now, before Giants’ President Larry Baer blows a gasket, let’s say what he’s probably screaming: “It isn’t just the Giants.”

It isn’t. The A’s had 10,436 on Opening Day and 8,131 last night. Arizona drew 19,385, after making over 19,000 tickets available at their April 9 home opener and less than half of that — 8,768 — Monday night.

Now you're going to say, of course crowds are bigger on Opening Day. That’s what always happens.

Not like this. You probably saw the video of the crowds at the Texas Rangers’ home debut. Nearly every seat was full in the 43,000-capacity ballpark, over 38,230 fans. It was called the largest crowd for a sporting event in the United States since the pandemic began.

And on this Monday night? The game drew 3,627.

Major League Baseball is probably having kittens about this right now. But let’s use that information to take a look at the larger picture of the recovery from the virus.

It turns out, if you tell people for a solid year that the virus is not only dangerous, but deadly; and if those people see creditable evidence that this really is a legitimate threat . . . well, we all might be a little scared and reluctant to mingle with a large group of people in close quarters.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the NBA, which is not only bringing back fans, but in a confined arena. The Warriors will admit fans in about a week and a half, on April 23. They are planning 35 percent of capacity, so just over 6,000 available seats.

Warriors fans are incredibly loyal, but you have to notice that even when indoor dining was approved, many people preferred to stay out in the fresh air.

The real point is not just that baseball is not a cure-all, but that nothing is by itself. The recovery will be made up of over-lapping pieces of a puzzle.

For instance, when I asked why people weren’t going to Giants’ games, I got several quick responses.

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Some said the COVID experience, and strict precautions, had taken the fun out of going to a game. Others mentioned the lack of public transit. And our old Twitter buddy Sons of Johnny LeMaster hit on something when he said “some folks are timid to come downtown, due to crime etc.”

I think all of that is right. And all the factors are intertwined.

Downtown San Francisco is a little creepy now. Many stores are still boarded up and there are some sketchy characters. But the answer isn’t a larger police presence.

It’s people. Downtown felt safer when it was bustling, when there was a line at the cable car turnaround and tourists with shopping bags filled the streets.

There’s no telling when tourists might come back to SF. But when they do, they can’t visit a ghost town. We know there’s going to be a shakeout of shops and stores, but let’s get it over with and open the ones who are courageous enough to give it a go.

And we should all light a candle for restaurants. We lament those who couldn’t make it and wish the best to those who hung on through the most difficult food service crisis in modern history.

But hey, we still like good food. Now may be the time to go back for a meal. You’ll be expertly flipping on your mask when the waiter/waitress comes to your table before you know it.

To get people downtown (or to ball games) public transit has to be moving them. Start running the cable cars again for God’s sake. Riding them can’t be more dangerous that getting a haircut.

It would also be a huge improvement to allow the Muni trains to once again run underground below the city. That would automatically populate parts of downtown. Maybe even attract shoppers.

And I know it is silly to ask, but is anyone doing anything on the Central Subway?

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Giants’ fans mentioned that the BART schedule is limited, shutting down earlier at night, so it makes it less convenient. Of course, BART doesn’t want to expand the schedule until it has riders and it won’t get riders until it runs more trains. Chicken/egg.

The point is, the recovery is not one factor, one re-opening. It is all of them put together together. And at this moment, to make it work, we’re going to have to go a little outside our comfort zone.

San Francisco has to help us with public transit, safe streets and culture.

And if we’re good with that, and feel safe, we may be ready for the next step.

A trip to the ballpark.

Contact C.W. Nevius at cwnevius@gmail.com. Suggestions and compliments accepted cheerfully. Criticism not so much. Twitter: @cwnevius