Maury Brown - 5 Reasons Why MLB Attendance Will Be Higher in 2012

Here’s 5 reasons why baseball should see, not only an increase in attendance over 2011, but a substantial one for the upcoming season:

1. The End of the McCourt Era with the Dodgers – The Dodgers are in the final throes of completing the bankruptcy sale, which will see the baton passed from Frank McCourt to one of several bidders, no later than announced on April 1 and finalized on April 30. That means that the dark clouds that have consumed one of baseball’s most storied franchises should be lifting, and with it, the return of fans to Dodger Stadium. While the fruits of new ownership are yet to be known, losing McCourt as an owner is addition by subtraction. If Magic Johnson’s group wins out, that increased local visibility could push attendance even further given his high profile. Attendance at Dodgers Stadium last year dropped 17.61% from 2010 (2,935,139 compared to 3,562,320 in 2010). Expect the Dodgers to see attendance climb back to above 3 million this season.

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