The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) had Miami as one of the host cities, and all games were sold out.
People went to loanDepot Park and enjoyed the tournament.
However, the Miami Marlins are learning the hard way that the excitement of the WBC didn’t necessarily translate to the regular season.
At 13,549 fans on average per home game, the Marlins rank 29th out of 30 teams in the league in attendance.
Some of the games paint a sad picture with thousands of empty seats.
Former Marlins president David Samson explained why Miami doesn’t seem to be the right market for a baseball franchise.
“Miami was buzzing for the World Baseball Classic — but the excitement hasn’t transitioned to the city’s MLB team, the Marlins. A lack of corporate and fan support has former Marlins president David Samson questioning Miami as a baseball market,” Front Office Sports tweeted, quoting the former executive.
Miami was buzzing for the World Baseball Classic — but the excitement hasn't transitioned to the city's MLB team, the Marlins.
A lack of corporate and fan support has former Marlins president David Samson questioning Miami as a baseball market. pic.twitter.com/mHnCSB2Mlq
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 19, 2023
In the audio, Samson explains that the demographics in Miami may not be suitable for an MLB franchise.
Truth be told, Miami has been struggling with attendance numbers for years now.
It’s definitely not a 2023 problem.
However, fans have a potential solution: win, or at least put together a truly competitive squad, and fans will come.
In professional sports, marketability hinges on overall success: if the Marlins make a sizable investment to really improve their roster, fans will probably go to loanDepot Park.
Of course, it’s always easier said than done, as they would have to convince potential free agents of their project.
In any case, the future of Miami as a host city for an MLB team is a bit murky.
NEXT: Jorge Soler Hit An Absolute Rocket On Wednesday
