LMP ATTENDANCE OFF TO STRONG START

More people than ever are attending games south of the border, where average attendance at Mexican Pacific League ballparks is higher than any summer minor league.

Through Thursday night's games, the MexPac has drawn 1,785,913 spectators to 183 games for an average of 9,759 turnstile clicks per opening.  In comparison, the International League's Charlotte Knights led all affiliated minor league teams in attendance average last summer at 9,428 while the IL led all minor leagues in 2015 with an average of 7,199 per game.

One reason for the uptick in MexPac is Culiacan's new ballpark, the 19,200-seat Estadio BBVA Bancomer (above), where an average of 16,742 fans have attended 25 Tomateros games.  Two other teams are averaging over ten thousand attendees:  Mexicali is bringing in 12,972 while Hermosillo welcomes 10,809 per night. Navojoa, which has long had problems bringing people out to the ballpark, is averaging 5,199.

Last winter, the LMP drew a total of 2,194,499 during the regular season for an average of 8,068 per contest, a 22 percent increase over 2013-14.  The postseason was boffo at MexPac box offices, as another 465,683 poured through the gates for an average of 13,305 for 35 playoff games to bring the grand total to 2,660,182 for the entire season for an average of 8,665.