Cincinnati Reds early attendance numbers not a concern

The Cincinnati Reds had an excellent crowd for Opening Day. Three games later? Well, that was a different story.

The 2019 season began differently than most seasons in recent memory for the Cincinnati Reds. Due to the acquisitions of Sonny Gray, Alex Wood, Yasiel Puig, and Tanner Roark, there was hope around Great American Ballpark for the upcoming year. Cincinnati, bucking the trend of other struggling teams, was looking to improve and contend.

That optimism could be felt on Opening Day. The Reds drew a record 44,049 fans to their contest against the Pirates, taking a 5-3 victory as Jose Peraza and Derek Dietrich both homered as part of a four run seventh. It was a great day for the Reds, and a sign that maybe, just maybe, they could actually compete in 2019.

Fast forward to Monday. Just two games after setting a single game attendance record at GABP, the Reds did the exact opposite – with a record low attendance of 7799 fans. The Reds ended up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, as a two out ninth inning RBI double from Ryan Braun proved to be the difference.

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It is easy to regard that record low in attendance as a sign that Reds faithful is not sold on the team this season, or a sign of the attendance problems surrounding Major League Baseball as a whole. Opening Day is always an event unlike any other, one that any team should be able to draw a sizable crowd for. That anticipation can write off that record showing, but it is the attendance later in the year that is considered more indicative of the fanbase.

Instead, that number is just another hint that maybe, just maybe, MLB should stop scheduling games in cold weather cities for the first week. Even if someone enjoys baseball, who wants to sit outdoors on a cold, rainy evening in early April?

The true test of the Reds decision to revamp their roster will come when the weather is warmer. If Cincinnati remains in contention, or is at least close, the fans should come to the ballpark. There is no reason to worry about a record low attendance for a game played in frigid, miserable weather.

The Cincinnati Reds rode an attendance roller coaster for the first series of the regular season. However, that is not anything to be concerned about at this point in time.