Barry Svrluga notes that Washington’s combination of winning games and bringing up young talent hasn’t boosted attendance yet:
Yet Tuesday, in Harper’s first game in Washington, 22,675 fans came to 41,000-seat Nationals Park. The following night, with hockey’s Capitals hosting a playoff game less than 21 / 2 miles away at Verizon Center, only 16,274 fans watched Harper rip three hits in a win over Arizona. When Strasburg made his first home start of 2012, 16,245 came to see it — more than 5,000 fewer than had witnessed any of his previous home starts.
Attendance at Thursday night’s game against Arizona was 19,656.
When Strasburg appeared, the fans came out in droves to see him. Maybe with Stephen’s injury, the fans are a little less likely to put their heart and soul into a particular player. We’ll see what happens this weekend. Phillies fans will take any unsold seats. The park will be full, but with fans of which team?
Well, that approach has won my son over to the Nats. He’s a student living in College Park, Md. and he goes to 5-6 games a month. He loves their pitching with it’s collection of speed demons and junk ballers and everything in between and Mike Morse and Bryce Harper and he thinks that Johnson is severely underrated as a manager.