2011 attendance....2,001,117

2012 attendance to date...52 games...1,257,793

Attendance to equal 2011 attendance...743,324

Games left in season...29

Average attendance needed to match 2011 attendance total...25,632 fans

The Sox got a total of 90,833 attendance in the Angels' series for an average of 30,278. I think it's safe to say the Sox will not only match the 2011 attendance but probably end up with 2,127,793+ total attendance in 2012 (an average of 30,000 fans per game the rest of the season). And if they start drawing around 40,000 fans per game as the race draws to a finish, then the total attendance could exceed 2,300,000+ fans when the season is over. I know the Sox probably wanted 2.5+ mil fans this season, but 2.3+ mil fans is still more than last season. To get at least 1,000,000 more fans before the season closes, the Sox need to average 34,483 fans the rest of the way...certainly doable in a division race.

If the Sox could average 40,000 fans per game in their last 29 games, they would end up with a total attendance around 2,400,000 which would be very close to what the Sox probably wanted this season...2.5 mil fans.

Funny, I was just going to start a thread about attendance. I was at the game Saturday. Big game, good opponent, and the Sox are still in 1st in August. Sellout, right? Not even close. Just under 29,000. Pathetic.

So here's what I propose, knowing full well it stands a snowball's chance in h?ll:

Ditch the tier pricing system. Tomorrow's game against KC? Full house. Why? "Value (i.e., half-price) Monday". Tuesday & Wednesday? 25,000 each game, tops. Why? Regular price.

They should make every weekday game a "Value" game, and the weekend games "Regular". No more "Prime" and "Premier" games. The Red Sox were "Premier". How'd that work out? Put fannies in the seats. I'd be willing to bet that they'd make more money with 35,000 to 40,000 at half-price than 23,000 at "Regular", "Prime" or "Premier". Those extra people will still pay for parking and concessions, where there's a ton of money to be made.

Just my 2 cents worth.

fully agree! The cubs series barely had over 30,000 each night because of the ridiculous price for those three weekday games. Charging premier pricing on a friday night to see flying elvis' not the best idea either. Its been a fun and engaging team to watch all year--the attendance has been disappointing. If we do not sellout playoff games would be a real embarrassment. We as sox fans are spoiled that almost all the games are on some form of tv. Lets enjoy the rest of the season.

sox fans are cheap.

No argument there. So cater to your clientele. Those "cheap" fans still manage to buy 8 beers at $7.75 a pop once they get into the park. I witness that first-hand every time I go to a game.

I was going to go to the game Friday but was just to dam much for me to justify going. Almost 200 for 3 OK lower decks tickets and that doesn't include parking and eating. I will probably try to catch another weekday game maybe this week against the ROyals... Stubhub has a bunch of reasonably priced tickets for all the games...

The Sox do sell out their playoff games. And so many of their loyal fans will be complaining that they can't get tickets for next to nothing prices.

"I was going to go to the game Friday but was just to dam much for me to justify going. Almost 200 for 3 OK lower decks tickets and that doesn't include parking and eating. I will probably try to catch another weekday game maybe this week against the ROyals... Stubhub has a bunch of reasonably priced tickets for all the games..."

2 things. If Stub had reasonably priced tickets, why didn't you get those? Second, a lot of the upper deck are very nice seats. No on eever complains where they sit at Wrigley. People have been sitting behind posts at Fenway for about 10 straight years.

I meant for the Royals series. Couldn't find anything decent on stub hub(even upper deck) for under 55 a ticket plus fees for Friday. Didn't realize it was Elvis night though and I know that attracts some people. I am sure somebody will make some sarcastic comment about me being cheap but whatever. I use to go to 10-15 games a year, but now I have a mortgage so priorities change. Hopefully I will make it out to at least one more game but will probably be a weekday game.

As for Wrigley and Fen way to each there own. I like to sit lower deck. Especially now that I only go to 2-3 games a year. If I am going to pay for parking, eating, and make that drive I like to sit in good seats. I have sat in the upper deck before but its not the same experience IMO...

I'll go one step farther in this. The Sox brass need to stop thinking that they can beat the Cubs at their own game. A Sox game is not a night at the opera. Sox fans are pipe fitters, welders, plumbers and electricians. Cubs fans are doctors, lawyers, and investment bankers. So it's the Sox fans who put up the buildings, and it's the Cubs fans who work in them. I know that's not 100% accurate, but it's the perception that's out there.

Japanese tourists will never ask their tour bus driver to take them to U.S. Cellular Field. So the sooner the Sox management starts to realize things like this and stop kidding themselves that they can compete with the Cubs, Yankees, and Red Sox when it comes to ticket pricing, the sooner those vacant seats that are rarely used up there on the 500 level will start to fill up.

I can't figure this one out either, but given the economy (working for 1/2 of old pay), and what to park your car????, kick in food, beer, etc., and it still cost you up the ying yang to go to a game.

It's NOT 2005 anymore, but we as fan's have 2012 salaries to pay for.

Kinda like a starving kid looking thru a bake shop, or butcher's window. It's there....but....?

there's always an excuse.

i agree. the economy is only bad in chicago.

(Insert yawn here) I really don't care much about attendance. That said the White Sox are going to be hard pressed to get a ton of fans to show up when they pile all these home games on top of one another. Last month the Twins series sold so well because you had good weather but it was one of only times they were home for weeks. Now they pile up all the home games and the White Sox just don't have the fan base to fill those seats every night of the week. Anyhow if you think things are bad now I do believe that they are closing the Red Line next season for repair if I remember correctly. If that the case the White Sox are really going to hurt.

There's a fan base to fill the seats, just look at 2006 and 2007. This team doesn't make enough playoff appearances to fill EVERY SEAT in the house EVERY YEAR. THE FORMULA HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED:

THEY DO NOT PLAY IN A TOURIST TRAP, A MUSEUM. THEY DO NOT PLAY IN WRIGLEY, SO NO FULL HOUSES DURING 110-LOSS SEASONS. THE FAN BASE GOT CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THIS! USE YOU DANG HEADS AND DISCUSS THIS WITH SOME COMMON SENSE!!!!

Unfortunately, none of you have enough smarts to realize that, you just moan and whine.

AGAIN: WHEN YOU DO NOT SELL OUT ALL OF YOUR PRE-SEASON TICKETS IN THE OFF-SEASON, YOU WILL SUFFER AT THE GATE BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPECT 40,000 in WALK-UPS EVERY GAME!!

HOW MANY SOX FANS WERE GETTING IN LINE DURING THE OFF-SEASON, AFTER THE LAST THREE GARBAGE SEASONS? ABOUT ONE, OR TWO...HERE AND THERE...I WAS TOO BUSY BEING SICK TO MY DANG STOMACH!!

GET IT? YOU CANNOT EXPECT 40,000 IN WALK-UPS EVERY GAME!!!!!

GOOD CROWDS ARE 30,000 TO 35,0000 UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES!!

STOP!!!!! JUST STOP!!!!!!! IT IS WHAT IT IS. IT'S THEIR FAULT FOR NOT WINNING ENOUGH!!!!

AS FAR AS THE ECONOMY, THE ONLY ONES SAYING CR*P ARE EITHER ARROGANT, SPOILED JERKS, OR 20-SOMETHING'S STILL LIVING OFF MOMMY'S NIPS. GO OUT INTO THE REAL WORLD FOR ONCE AND YOU WON'T BE MAKING ASININE COMMENTS!

I'VE BEEN TO ONE GAME THIS YEAR, WELL, CUZ THAT'S ALL I COULD AFFORD, SO FAR. IF YOU THINK MY SITUATION IS "MADE UP", GET YOUR A*S OVER TO MY PLACE AND WE'LL SWITCH PLACES FOR A DAY OR TWO. I BET YOUR MOMS STILL MAKES YOU PANCAKES EVERY DAY! YIPS! I LIKE PANCAKES!! DOES SHE TUCK YOU IN AT NIGHT TOO, AND PAY YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE???? TAKE YOU TO THE DENTIST WHEN YOU HAVE A TOOTHY ACHE?

SORRY TO YELL, BUT MOST OF YOU SOUND LIKE WHINEY LITTLE PUNKS!

JUST STOP!!!!!!

YOU KNOW WHY THEY ARE DEALING WITH THIS? 2009, 2010 AND 2011!! DON'T ANY OF YOU NUMB SKULLS GET IT?????

YOU ROOT FOR THE WRONG SIDE OF TOWN IF YOU THINK THOSE THREE SEASONS "WERE TOTALLY COOL, DUUUUUUDE!"

TOURISTS AND BASEBALL KNOWLEDGE-DEFICIENT YUPPIES/FRAT BOYS AND FRAT MATTRESSES WITH DISPOSABLE INCOME DO NOT VISIT THE CELL, SO THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH. DEAL WITH IT!!!

AGAIN: EVERYONE GOT CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THIS, EVEN THE TEAM ITSELF!!!!! THIS IS WHAT MEDIOCRE TO BAD TEAMS, ON A YEARLY BASIS, GO THROUGH!!

EXCEPT FOR ONE TEAM. ONE TEAM. AND, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT ANOMALY RESIDES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.

IT'S NOT DIFFICULT, PEOPLE. YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE IT THAT WAY.

Thank you.

Hey, now that I calmed down, let's discuss this with some common sense from the real world! I own a business in the service industry, okay. Do you KNOW what the TREND is now? In this economy? BUNDLED service visits!

Seriously, we discount visits when people pre-pay up front for the month!

Why?

Because, when they PAY IN ADVANCE, THEY SHOW UP! THEY ARE COMMITTED TO SHOWING UP! They PAID for it already!!!! When they don't pay in advance, THEY ALL find reasons to not show up as much! What's the number one reason, even from working professionals? THE ECONOMY!!!

When you understand supply/demand, you'll be able to discuss this with a clue!

SEE, NOW YOU PEOPLE GOT ME ALL WORKED UP AND YELLING AGAIN!!!!!

As MLB, not the Sox, make the schedule, I don't really think you can blame this on them.

"I'll go one step farther in this. The Sox brass need to stop thinking that they can beat the Cubs at their own game. A Sox game is not a night at the opera. Sox fans are pipe fitters, welders, plumbers and electricians"

True. You can't go to Wrigley and get some sound effect between every pitch and an idiotic contest every half inning and a scoreboard informing you when to cheer. All part of a very successful Sox marketing plan to respect the game.

Why should I need an "excuse" for not going? I am a fan of the team but I do not owe them anything. The White Sox are a business and set ticket prices at a point where they think they can make the most money which is perfectly fine. I as a consumer of there product get to decide how much I want to spend on it. I don't think I as a fan need to have an "excuse" because I dont want to spend $300 to watch Phillip Humber pitch...