Sugar Land Skeeters Set Atlantic League Attendance Record

The Atlantic League’s newest franchise, the Sugar Land Skeeters, are making quite the impression. 

The team, which is the brainchild of ODP Chairman Peter Kirk and his partner, 16-time Gold Glover Brooks Robinson, has seen record-breaking attendance numbers after only one month. 

A four-games series between April 26 and April 29 pulled in an average game attendance of nearly 7,400 and 29,413 total over the four-game stretch, according to oursportscentral.com. That ranks fifth among 200 minor league teams in the nation. 

With a $27.9 million stadium filled to the rafters, the Skeeters are undoubtedly making their mark and solidifying themselves as a force when compared to the other teams from the East. 

With capacity reaching 6,000, this state of the art minor league stadium “will also generate economic activity annually of approximately $7.7 million or a net return of $169 million over 30 years on the investment of the City and ODP.”  

At present date the top 10 average attendances per team are:

1. Dayton Dragons (Midwest) 8,513

2. Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (International) 8,107

3. Louisville Bats (International) 7,669

4. Round Rock Express (Pacific Coast) 7,432

5. Sugar Land Skeeters (Atlantic) 7,353

6. Frisco Rough Riders (Texas) 6,745

7. Albuquerque Isotopes (Pacific Coast) 6,698

8. Columbus Clippers (International) 6,635

9. Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast) 6,340

10. Memphis Redbirds (Pacific Coast) 6,210

To be ranked so high as a first-year team is a testament to the management team when related to preparation, marketing and results. 

I say this as the Skeeters currently sit near the bottom of the Freedom Division, but No. 1 in attendance. Independent baseball is not about results, it’s about location, fans and atmosphere. 

It looks like the Skeeters have perfect this formula so far.

Devon is the Founder and Executive Director of The GM's Perspective. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies. Currently, Devon is a manager at a financial institution in Northern Ontario Canada, and can be reached at [e-mail]. You can follow The GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.

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