The Hartford Yard Goats’ record attendance this past season parallels that of 13 other minor league franchises nationwide, according to Minor League Baseball (MiLB).
MiLB, the governing body for professional baseball in the U.S., Canada and the Dominican Republic, said Tuesday that The Hartford Yard Goats drew 395,196 fans in the inaugural season at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, the only new ballpark to open in Minor League Baseball in 2017. The Yard Goats also established franchise records for the largest single-game attendance, along with several other clubs.
The Yard Goats also had 41 sellouts in its inaugural season, said Jeff Dooley, a team spokesman.
Other teams to achieve record-breaking season attendance included the Tennessee Smokies and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, MiLB said.
All told, a total of 41,832,364 fans passed through the gates at Minor League Baseball games in 2017, the fifth-highest attendance total in the history of the organization since it was established in 1901, the MiLB said.
“Minor League Baseball offers what I believe is the best entertainment value in sports, and these numbers support that,” said MiLB President & CEO Pat O’Conner. “For attendance to rise despite a record number of rainouts is a testament to the hard work and efforts by all 160 of our teams and to the loyal fan bases that continue to support them in record numbers.”
