Park attendance

[Bench]

Is there any place in this wide world of internet that would have a break down of a ballpark's average attendance based upon the day of the week?

Or, more directly, if I'm planning on going to see the Astros play the Twins at Target Field on a Saturday night can I expect to find success buying cheap seats and ameliorating my location at the park or should I just plunk down for decent tickets directly available from the Twins web site?  So far this year Target Field is averaging about 31K.  It's capacity is 39.5K.  Yes, it's a Saturday night, but it's also against the Astros who will by then likely be battling the Twins for the worst record in the league.  Thoughts?

[JimR]

Is there any place in this wide world of internet that would have a break down of a ballpark's average attendance based upon the day of the week?

Or, more directly, if I'm planning on going to see the Astros play the Twins at Target Field on a Saturday night can I expect to find success buying cheap seats and ameliorating my location at the park or should I just plunk down for decent tickets directly available from the Twins web site?  So far this year Target Field is averaging about 31K.  It's capacity is 39.5K.  Yes, it's a Saturday night, but it's also against the Astros who will by then likely be battling the Twins for the worst record in the league.  Thoughts?

are you cheap or excessively frugal, Bench?

[Bench]

are you cheap or excessively frugal, Bench?

I'd be happy with either one.  I'm trying to end my spendthrift days and cutting corners at baseball games seems like a dynamite place to start.  Unfortunately, practicing this craft at MMPUS is like playing the beginner level on Madden so I really need to prepare as my degree of difficulty increases to a team with middle of the road attendance. 

[Navin R Johnson]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/2013-schedule-scores.shtml

[Navin R Johnson]

Ranges from 28K to 37K

[NeilT]

Wisconsin is the only place I've bee run from seats in a mostly empty stadium. I chalked it up to Midwestern probity. Just be forewarned.

Weird thing was the seats I sat down in were no better than the seats I'd paid for.

[Bench]

Ranges from 28K to 37K

Thanks.  I'll assume a game against the Astros will run towards the 28K side of the scale.

[Bench]

Wisconsin is the only place I've bee run from seats in a mostly empty stadium. I chalked it up to Midwestern probity. Just be forewarned.

That's a really good point.  Those midwesterners love their rules.

[Navin R Johnson]

It was still freezing in MN in may (it snowed while I was there then).  I would guess even with the Astros if the weather is good, it will be closer to 33, since June 1 all the games have been 33+ including a game against Seattle.  I went to a game last year, it is a nice park, not as nice as MM.  The area around the park is great though, bunch of food and beer options.  Not sure where you are staying, but they have light rail that dead ends into the stadium too.

[Bench]

It was still freezing in MN in may (it snowed while I was there then).  I would guess even with the Astros if the weather is good, it will be closer to 33, since June 1 all the games have been 33+ including a game against Seattle.  I went to a game last year, it is a nice park, not as nice as MM.  The area around the park is great though, bunch of food and beer options.  Not sure where you are staying, but they have light rail that dead ends into the stadium too.

I went three years ago, which I think was the first year it opened.  It's a very pretty park with excellent beer and sausage options (hooray midwest!).  Back then it was a brand new park with a contending team hitting the stretch drive. 

We're just passing through so will be staying near the airport and availing ourselves of the light rail.  

[Navin R Johnson]

Just a heads up on the light rail, I was staying at the Embassy in Bloomington near the airport. We took the light rail from there, and it is a good 40 minute ride.  Also, if you end up downtown or are looking for a good dinner, http://haute-dish.com/ is great, a friend of a friend is the owner there so I am a bit biased.  Good beer and food though.

[the KEG]

Thanks.  I'll assume a game against the Astros will run towards the 28K side of the scale.

We went to the Saturday afternoon Royals/Twins game a couple weeks ago.  Tickets were surprisingly expensive, but we bought ours ahead of time off of Stubhub for a few bucks below face value in the club section on the 1st base side.  The view of downtown is a little less limited from that side, but they were still really nice seats. 

Attendance was a little over 36K that day, but the stadium handled it easily.  Lines weren't too ridiculous anywhere.  Lots of food/beer options, too.  It was one of the better ones we've been to overall.  Have fun!

[JimR]

Wisconsin is the only place I've bee run from seats in a mostly empty stadium. I chalked it up to Midwestern probity. Just be forewarned.

Weird thing was the seats I sat down in were no better than the seats I'd paid for.

happened to me in Colorado in an empty stadium before the gates opened.

[MusicMan]

are you cheap or excessively frugal, Bench?

I won't say my family's excessively frugal, but I did have a cousin ask which spoon I really wanted from my wedding registry.

[pots]

but we bought ours ahead of time off of Stubhub for a few bucks below face value in the club section on the 1st base side. 

This was going to be my suggestion.  Wife got tickets for PNC a few years back.  Pretty kick ass seats for just under face value. 

[Reuben]

This was going to be my suggestion.  Wife got tickets for PNC a few years back.  Pretty kick ass seats for just under face value. 

And on Stubhub, they seem to really drop in price (for lower-demand games) the day or two before the game.

Just make sure you can pick them up at the stadium, or somewhere convenient, before you click "purchase".

[Navin R Johnson]

Using StubHub, I would go with tix that you can download and print out if at all possible.

[Bench]

Using StubHub, I would go with tix that you can download and print out if at all possible.

Likewise. 

[Bench]

Just a heads up on the light rail, I was staying at the Embassy in Bloomington near the airport. We took the light rail from there, and it is a good 40 minute ride.  Also, if you end up downtown or are looking for a good dinner, http://haute-dish.com/ is great, a friend of a friend is the owner there so I am a bit biased.  Good beer and food though.

Thanks for the tip.  I'll keep it in mind.

We went to the Saturday afternoon Royals/Twins game a couple weeks ago.  Tickets were surprisingly expensive, but we bought ours ahead of time off of Stubhub for a few bucks below face value in the club section on the 1st base side.  The view of downtown is a little less limited from that side, but they were still really nice seats. 

Attendance was a little over 36K that day, but the stadium handled it easily.  Lines weren't too ridiculous anywhere.  Lots of food/beer options, too.  It was one of the better ones we've been to overall.  Have fun!

It's a great, small but open ballpark.