Florida Spring Training Attendance Breaks Record

TALLAHASSEE, FL — The boys of summer attracted an impressive following this spring during 2016 Florida Grapefruit League games. In fact, attendance during Florida’s Spring Training season set records, according to the state.

Gov. Rick Scott’s office released figures related to attendance during the March 1 through April 2 season at fields across the state. The average per game attendance during 2016 Major League Baseball Spring Training games came out to 7,096. That number, the governor’s office says, marked the first time in more than 100 years of Florida Grapefruit League games average attendance topped 7,000.

“Spring Training and Major League Baseball are a major attraction for families and visitors, and have an incredible economic impact on the local communities that host these fifteen Florida Grapefruit League teams,” Scott said in a statement. “Last year we welcomed 105 million visitors to our state, and we will keep working to support the tourism industry so we can reach another record year in Florida.”

The 2016 Spring Training season saw 215 games played in the state of Florida. Total attendance was 1,525,570, according to the state. That number also marked the 14th time in the last 17 years spring training attendance soared beyond 1.5 million. Attendance figures are tracked by the Florida Sports Foundation using daily box scores. They are verified, the state said, by the 15 teams in the Florida Grapefruit League, as well.

Here’s how MLB teams that play locally fared during Spring Training:

Philadelphia Phillies – Bright House Field, Clearwater

The team played 15 games with one rain out. Its total attendance was 112,781 with 7,519 the average per game attendance. The largest crowd was logged March 17 at 11,122 when the Phillies played the Tampa Bay Rays.

Toronto Blue Jays – Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, Dunedin

The team played 14 games with one rain out. Total attendance was 72,611 with an average per-game attendance of 5,190. The largest crowd was logged March 11 at 5,549 when the Jays played the Boston Red Sox.

Pittsburg Pirates – McKechnie Field, Bradenton

The team played 15 games with one rain out. Total attendance was 103,762 with an average per-game attendance of 6,917. The largest crowd was recorded March 9 when the Pirates played the Boston Red Sox.

Baltimore Orioles – Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota

The team played 16 games with an overall attendance of 119,029. Average per-game attendance was 7,439. The largest crowd came for the March 28 game against the Boston Red Sox.

New York Yankees – Steinbrenner Field, Tampa

The team played 16 games and had an overall attendance of 160,849. The average per-game attendance was 10,053. The biggest crowd came for the March 24 game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Yankees had the highest season attendance in the state, according to the governor’s office.

The state credits renovations at such locations as Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium and Bradenton’s McKechnie field for helping bolster numbers by adding seat capacity.

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