Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

West Omaha, Sarpy and Nebraska metro counties.

Moderators: Coyote, nebugeater, Brad, Omaha Cowboy, BRoss

User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

Yeah we had our company picnic there last Thursday. Just such a big month for outings and such. So much better for a team now that you don't have to be gone for 3 weeks.

Greg
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

Interesting. I know we are still right in the heart of the minor league baseball season, but I wonder if the local media will point out at some point that the Omaha Storm Chasers attendance is sitting second to last in the Pacific Coast League. That even made me do a double take. It’s the first time I’ve checked it all year, but at right around halfway through the season, Omaha is in front of only Colorado Springs averaging 4,500 per game. They were 10/16 last year averaging 5,315 per game in 2016. As I’ve mentioned in the past, their attendance has gone down every year since moving to Werner Park, but this feels dramatic. In 2011, they were averaging 5,900 per game. The difference between 5,900-5,300 is somewhat negligible, but if this fell below 5k, that would be an eye opener. From 2005-2007, they averaged between 4,3000-4,800 before jumping up over 5,000 in 2008. Attendance increased every year after that as the end of Rosenblatt loomed.

Granted, we will need to revisit this after this weekend as the July 4th weekend should be some of their biggest crowds of the season. 3 games over the weekend of 8k will make it jump up, but still.

I’m thinking they will finish over 5k in attendance this year, but it’s tracking to be a lower attendance season again and it could be somewhat significant like 5,100 per game. If they finish 2nd to last in attendance in the PCL, I think some questions will need to be asked. I know the new ballpark excitement wears off, but there has to be more to it than that.

Is it pricing? The cost has gone up to attend a game significantly since 2011. Have the promotions gotten stale? Is the truth that we just aren't a great market for minor league baseball and the span between the end of the Blatt and start of Werner Park from 2008-2013 were just an anomaly?

I don’t think 5k per game in attendance and finishing 14th or 15th in the PCL in attendance can really cut it anymore like it did in the Rosenblatt days. Tom Shatel’s annual wistful column about how great it is that we can have CWS and a great venue for Minor League baseball going on simultaneously completely ignores the actual attendance trends.

I've always been a big supporter of Werner Park and this franchise, but at some point questions need to be asked before we start hearing rumblings from the team that the grass is starting to look greener somewhere else.
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

If memory serves isn't this how they normally start? I know this year was worse than normal with April rain, but I think most every year the Chasers start with an average of less than 5k then in grows through out the summer. I just checked all of the June box scores and June's average is significantly higher than the season average. I think that's partly why they could not make TD work. You'd be wiping out most of one of the best months of the season.

I can tell you the group stuff is pretty well sold. We tried to rent the outdoor patio in June or the two outdoor areas next to the playhouse back in May for any of the June home games and they were already sold out.

Greg
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

Greg S wrote:If memory serves isn't this how they normally start? I know this year was worse than normal with April rain, but I think most every year the Chasers start with an average of less than 5k then in grows through out the summer. I just checked all of the June box scores and June's average is significantly higher than the season average. I think that's partly why they could not make TD work. You'd be wiping out most of one of the best months of the season.

I can tell you the group stuff is pretty well sold. We tried to rent the outdoor patio in June or the two outdoor areas next to the playhouse back in May for any of the June home games and they were already sold out.

Greg
This is generally correct, but it seems lower this year than prior years. I feel like they've generally been sitting about 4,800 to just under 5k at this point and then it jumps in June and July. June is essentially done for them. So, they only have July left to grow it. Typically, August is a lower attended month, especially once school gets closer.

Also, I've followed this for years now and they've NEVER been as low as 15/16 in attendance average. They have typically hovered around 12th at this point of the year and then finish about 10th with a strong July and a few scattered dates in August that are good too.

Now, some of that comes from other teams building new ballparks and growing their attendance, but my experience with following this tells me this is low compared to our norm. Nashville was always the perennial basement dweller in the PCL and their new ballpark has vaulted them to #1 in PCL attendance. El Paso replaced Tucson and have become a big attendance franchise. But, we were typically ahead of teams like New Orleans, Tacoma, Las Vegas, and Reno even at this point of the season. Now Las Vegas is a bit of an outlier. I'm unsure how they are averaging almost 1k more than normal this season. I don't know if it's just a pro sports frenzy with the coming of the Raiders and Golden Knights, or if they've just gotten creative with ticket sales. They don't have a new ballpark.

I think that we just aren't a professional sports market. This is becoming increasingly clear to me. We support the heck out of college sports, but we struggle with minor league offerings. So, before this becomes a downtown vs. Werner debate, I absolutely expect that this same scenario would play out whether the team was playing downtown or in Sarpy County.
MadMartin8
Planning Board
Posts: 2959
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:48 pm
Location: Beyond Thunderdome

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by MadMartin8 »

What are some other attendance figures for other teams? And Stadium Capacities?
No posts exist for this topic
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

MadMartin8 wrote:What are some other attendance figures for other teams? And Stadium Capacities?
This is your best bet for looking at current and historical PCL attendance. It has season attendance figures all the way back to 2005. It's real time this year. So, the numbers will move daily for 2017.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... 2&sid=l112

Here's the link for the International League if you'd like to compare all of AAA baseball. Omaha currently sits at 26/30 in attendance halfway through 2017.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... 7&sid=l117

This doesn't factor in stadium capacities and doesn't show you when a team builds a new ballpark, but you can get the general idea of the trends.
MadMartin8
Planning Board
Posts: 2959
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:48 pm
Location: Beyond Thunderdome

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by MadMartin8 »

omaha79 wrote:
MadMartin8 wrote:What are some other attendance figures for other teams? And Stadium Capacities?
This is your best bet for looking at current and historical PCL attendance. It has season attendance figures all the way back to 2005. It's real time this year. So, the numbers will move daily for 2017.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... 2&sid=l112

Here's the link for the International League if you'd like to compare all of AAA baseball. Omaha currently sits at 26/30 in attendance halfway through 2017.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... 7&sid=l117

This doesn't factor in stadium capacities and doesn't show you when a team builds a new ballpark, but you can get the general idea of the trends.

So, just looking at the numbers, at least the net average without factoring in capacities, the difference between the top and the bottom is just shy of 4,000... so I guess that is a bit of a difference...more than I expected to see.
No posts exist for this topic
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

MadMartin8 wrote:
omaha79 wrote:
MadMartin8 wrote:What are some other attendance figures for other teams? And Stadium Capacities?
This is your best bet for looking at current and historical PCL attendance. It has season attendance figures all the way back to 2005. It's real time this year. So, the numbers will move daily for 2017.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... 2&sid=l112

Here's the link for the International League if you'd like to compare all of AAA baseball. Omaha currently sits at 26/30 in attendance halfway through 2017.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... 7&sid=l117

This doesn't factor in stadium capacities and doesn't show you when a team builds a new ballpark, but you can get the general idea of the trends.

So, just looking at the numbers, at least the net average without factoring in capacities, the difference between the top and the bottom is just shy of 4,000... so I guess that is a bit of a difference...more than I expected to see.
Yes, and I'll go a step further with it. The top attendance teams are typically ones with nice stadiums in warmer weather markets than Omaha. Still, Iowa is typically 8k range when the seasons over. they usually draw about 3k more per game than Omaha. There are fewer and fewer cold weather franchises in the PCL as the years have gone by. Teams that suffer from those poor weather April and May games as California and Texas franchises have taken over the league are always going to look poor compared to those clubs. Still, Omaha should be able to be in the same range as Iowa given facilities, history, and weather. The only leg up Iowa arguably has over Omaha is their affiliation with the Cubs being more valuable than Omaha's with the Royals. Still, that alone shouldn't account for almost 3k difference in attendance. Some of it just boils down to how each city embraces minor league sports vs. college athletics.
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

Omaha's never been a huge town for minor leagues. I think that's why the ownership wisely built Werner Park at the size they did. Many thought it was too small when announced, and we have learned they hit it just about perfect.

Des Moines for example also does not have to deal 350k for the CWS (granted part of that number is out of towners), which I think has an long term impact on minor league ticket sales here. I know when I was a kid and my Dad took me to several CWS games, I was usually "baseballed" out for a few weeks. I'm not sure it's a Cubs are more valuable than the Royals affiliate deal either. I went back to 2005 and the Cubs were over 7500 and the Omaha Royals were at 4200, so it's been that way for a while.

I looked at the PCL numbers, we are only about 20 behind Reno and 50 a night behind Tacoma. I can see us passing both of them shortly. I could also see us passing New Orleans by the end of year and drawing closer to Memphis.

Greg
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

Greg S wrote:Omaha's never been a huge town for minor leagues. I think that's why the ownership wisely built Werner Park at the size they did. Many thought it was too small when announced, and we have learned they hit it just about perfect.

Des Moines for example also does not have to deal 350k for the CWS (granted part of that number is out of towners), which I think has an long term impact on minor league ticket sales here. I know when I was a kid and my Dad took me to several CWS games, I was usually "baseballed" out for a few weeks. I'm not sure it's a Cubs are more valuable than the Royals affiliate deal either. I went back to 2005 and the Cubs were over 7500 and the Omaha Royals were at 4200, so it's been that way for a while.

I looked at the PCL numbers, we are only about 20 behind Reno and 50 a night behind Tacoma. I can see us passing both of them shortly. I could also see us passing New Orleans by the end of year and drawing closer to Memphis.

Greg
I'm just saying that historically, the Cubs brand has been a more valuable affiliation, especially in Central Iowa than the Royals have been for Omaha. Central and Eastern Iowa are pretty solid for the Cubs with a little bit of Twins and I'd assume a much smaller contingent of Cardinals and White Sox. Cubs would still be dominant.

Omaha, on the other hand, is probably Cubs territory first followed by Royals then a mix of Cardinals, Twins, Rockies, etc. So, the Iowa franchise does have a slight advantage in drawing fans based on affiliation alone where we are more split if not more Cubs leaning based on our history of having WGN. In the 70's and 80's, Omaha was probably a pretty solid Royals town. That was before my time. I can say that anyone who grew up in the late 80's onwards didn't have an affinity for the Royals. Omaha became more of a Cubs and Braves town based on the ability to watch those franchises on WGN and TBS. The Royals regained some of their foothold with the 2014-2015 run, but they still can't touch the Cubs overall.

I will absolutely agree that the fact we have the CWS probably hurts the ability to sell ticket packages for the Storm Chasers though. I hadn't thought of that, but it is very valid. So many people here are CWS season ticket holders or buy GA books. That is a significant investment and they likely get their fill of baseball during those two weeks. That likely accounts for a large portion of why Des Moines always beats Omaha in MILB attendance by several thousand a game. Without the CWS, that discretionary income might naturally flow back into the minor league franchise instead.

They likely will pass a few of the other franchises, but finishing 12-13 out of 16 and somewhere around 23/30 in AAA isn't necessarily a victory. And, the trend is still moving in the wrong direction since 2011.
MadMartin8
Planning Board
Posts: 2959
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:48 pm
Location: Beyond Thunderdome

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by MadMartin8 »

I'll be curious to see once the area around Werner Park gets developed, if that will have a somewhat sizeable impact on attendance as well....because, if it's right down the street, why not go?
No posts exist for this topic
buildomaha
Human Relations
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue May 31, 2016 7:06 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by buildomaha »

I just don't think people in Omaha are going to support a minor league team. I know I have never had the desire to go to a storm chasers game and the only reason I've been to one (and only one) was because some friends were going and had free tickets.
#gohawks
User avatar
RockHarbor
Planning Board
Posts: 2093
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:42 am
Location: Silver State

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by RockHarbor »

It really is a nice & likeable stadium, imo. I'm still getting used to it being there. I'm glad that whole area is being developed, but I'm not sure I like the feel of a baseball stadium, a flood control lake/reservoir, industrial buildongs, and new housing all mixed together. I'm sure as it builds up more, I'll like it better. It looks like big box retail is planned for around there. There's a big space between the stadium & the highway. I hope they don't put a Target or Wal-Mart in front of it. A baseball stadium is not meant to shrouded behind stores & strip malls...
I can get pushed out because I'm "too much" for some. Then, an observer of me comes suddenly swooping in to "fill my shoes." People are always more accepting of the new one, because their feathers aren't truly ruffled by them. (Yawn) I can count on it every time.
User avatar
nebugeater
City Council
Posts: 108877
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 6:07 pm
Location: Gretna NE

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by nebugeater »

I don't think you can completely ignore the success of the team and it's impact on attendance. In year 1 and for a couple of years or so after they were leading the pack and finished in 1st place. This year and the last couple they have not been as big a winner on the field. By no means is this the only reason but it has to have an impact.
For the record  NEBUGEATER does not equal BUGEATER    !!!!!!!
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

omaha79 wrote:
Greg S wrote:Omaha's never been a huge town for minor leagues. I think that's why the ownership wisely built Werner Park at the size they did. Many thought it was too small when announced, and we have learned they hit it just about perfect.

Des Moines for example also does not have to deal 350k for the CWS (granted part of that number is out of towners), which I think has an long term impact on minor league ticket sales here. I know when I was a kid and my Dad took me to several CWS games, I was usually "baseballed" out for a few weeks. I'm not sure it's a Cubs are more valuable than the Royals affiliate deal either. I went back to 2005 and the Cubs were over 7500 and the Omaha Royals were at 4200, so it's been that way for a while.

I looked at the PCL numbers, we are only about 20 behind Reno and 50 a night behind Tacoma. I can see us passing both of them shortly. I could also see us passing New Orleans by the end of year and drawing closer to Memphis.

Greg
I'm just saying that historically, the Cubs brand has been a more valuable affiliation, especially in Central Iowa than the Royals have been for Omaha. Central and Eastern Iowa are pretty solid for the Cubs with a little bit of Twins and I'd assume a much smaller contingent of Cardinals and White Sox. Cubs would still be dominant.

Omaha, on the other hand, is probably Cubs territory first followed by Royals then a mix of Cardinals, Twins, Rockies, etc. So, the Iowa franchise does have a slight advantage in drawing fans based on affiliation alone where we are more split if not more Cubs leaning based on our history of having WGN. In the 70's and 80's, Omaha was probably a pretty solid Royals town. That was before my time. I can say that anyone who grew up in the late 80's onwards didn't have an affinity for the Royals. Omaha became more of a Cubs and Braves town based on the ability to watch those franchises on WGN and TBS. The Royals regained some of their foothold with the 2014-2015 run, but they still can't touch the Cubs overall.

I will absolutely agree that the fact we have the CWS probably hurts the ability to sell ticket packages for the Storm Chasers though. I hadn't thought of that, but it is very valid. So many people here are CWS season ticket holders or buy GA books. That is a significant investment and they likely get their fill of baseball during those two weeks. That likely accounts for a large portion of why Des Moines always beats Omaha in MILB attendance by several thousand a game. Without the CWS, that discretionary income might naturally flow back into the minor league franchise instead.

They likely will pass a few of the other franchises, but finishing 12-13 out of 16 and somewhere around 23/30 in AAA isn't necessarily a victory. And, the trend is still moving in the wrong direction since 2011.

Years ago the OWH did a survery on MLB fan affiliations in Omaha and the Royals came out on top (this was before the Royals return to the playoffs) followed by the Cubs. If memory serves the Yankee's and Cards were next. I figure the Cards was strong because of the relocation in the 80's and 90's of so many St Louis area employees by UP and Con Agra. When Facebook does their rankings by state the Royals come out on top. The Cubs are a very strong 2nd in the market though.

I agree on WGN that was huge at the time (still think it's crazy they walked away from that, the Cubs became a national brand). In the 70's the Royals were on WOWT a bunch during the summer, then disappeared as cable came in. Throw in the fact they were brutal and it damaged the fan base. You have seen it come back in a big way, both with the franchise winning and spending, along with Fox Sports KC (along with some on ESPN and Fox) now showing every Royals game on TV in Omaha and most of the upper midwest.

I think Omaha will always be a very solid MiLB market but never one of the top ones.


Greg
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

nebugeater wrote:I don't think you can completely ignore the success of the team and it's impact on attendance. In year 1 and for a couple of years or so after they were leading the pack and finished in 1st place. This year and the last couple they have not been as big a winner on the field. By no means is this the only reason but it has to have an impact.
I once thought the on field success of the team and/or the success of the parent club would move the needle, but it really didn't. Talking to people like Martie Cordaro, he would tell you that the on field product is not much of a driver for attendance. He has told me that you have about 10-15% of the people that are there to watch the game as die hard baseball fans. Those are the people that know the roster, know the teams place in the standings, and know how the parent club is doing. The rest are there for other reasons.

The ability to engage the corporate community and sell group tickets is the biggest driver of overall attendance. In terms of single game tickets and individual season plans, it comes down more to things like gameday promotions (bobbleheads, concerts, thirsty thursdays, fireworks), ballpark amenities (playgrounds, carousels), and weather before you run into concerns like the quality of play.

The point that was made to me is that if quality of play was truly a driver, playoff games would be better attended. They are actually some of the worst attended games. Sure, part of that is they aren't part of the ticket packages, are after school starts, and are often running up against high school football and college football, but we really had a strong contingent that was interested in the play on the field, they'd have more than a few thousand people at games where the PCL Championship is on the line. I went to almost all of the playoff games in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and they struggled to get people to come out and watch the best teams in franchise history.
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

omaha79 wrote:
nebugeater wrote:I don't think you can completely ignore the success of the team and it's impact on attendance. In year 1 and for a couple of years or so after they were leading the pack and finished in 1st place. This year and the last couple they have not been as big a winner on the field. By no means is this the only reason but it has to have an impact.
I once thought the on field success of the team and/or the success of the parent club would move the needle, but it really didn't. Talking to people like Martie Cordaro, he would tell you that the on field product is not much of a driver for attendance. He has told me that you have about 10-15% of the people that are there to watch the game as die hard baseball fans. Those are the people that know the roster, know the teams place in the standings, and know how the parent club is doing. The rest are there for other reasons.

The ability to engage the corporate community and sell group tickets is the biggest driver of overall attendance. In terms of single game tickets and individual season plans, it comes down more to things like gameday promotions (bobbleheads, concerts, thirsty thursdays, fireworks), ballpark amenities (playgrounds, carousels), and weather before you run into concerns like the quality of play.

The point that was made to me is that if quality of play was truly a driver, playoff games would be better attended. They are actually some of the worst attended games. Sure, part of that is they aren't part of the ticket packages, are after school starts, and are often running up against high school football and college football, but we really had a strong contingent that was interested in the play on the field, they'd have more than a few thousand people at games where the PCL Championship is on the line. I went to almost all of the playoff games in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and they struggled to get people to come out and watch the best teams in franchise history.

I think winning helps a little but not much. The playoff deal is interesting. That happens all the time on attendance. Agree with you on the packages and conflicts. Same thing happens with the Lancers, because playoff tickets are not included in the season ticket package (you buy them separately) their playoff games are not as well attended. One because the tickets were not included and two because the sales team does not have time to get the corporate and group sales going. UNO hockey because the most they can host playoff-wise is 3 games, includes them and their cost in with their season tickets. But if you noticed when they were at the Century Link Center, they did not get good crowds for their playoff games either (thought better than others because they did have their season ticket holders). I don't think that means that people don't care if the Lancers or Mavericks win or lose though.

Another problem you pointed out with PCL playoffs is they run into football season. Both high school and college.

I went to some of the playoff games but my kids fall sports were under way, plus I have season Husker tickets.

Greg
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

Chasers finish this season above last year on attendance. Next year looks good with it being the 50th anniversary of the franchise. Looks like they have some great promotions planned honoring teams of the past, including different versions of the O Royals, the Golden Spikes and the first season of the Chasers.

The exhibition game with KC sold out in a matter of hours.

Should be fun.

Greg
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

Greg S wrote:Chasers finish this season above last year on attendance. Next year looks good with it being the 50th anniversary of the franchise. Looks like they have some great promotions planned honoring teams of the past, including different versions of the O Royals, the Golden Spikes and the first season of the Chasers.

The exhibition game with KC sold out in a matter of hours.

Should be fun.

Greg
Nice. That came down to the last weekend. I looked at it coming into the final series and they were just over 5,200. After a strong weekend, they broke the string of each year being lower than the previous.
HskrFanMike
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1216
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:40 pm
Contact:

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by HskrFanMike »

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that attendance has dropped and stagnated from what they drew at Rosenblatt. The new stadium isn't any more inviting on those April nights when it's 38 degrees...but on a nice Saturday night in the summertime, the attendance is capped at 9k.

That being said, I don't think Martie and his team worries much about attendance; their focus is on revenue, and the new stadium drives it for them, even if the number of people in the stands has fallen
Fort Calhoun
New to the Neighborhood
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 3:59 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Fort Calhoun »

Average attendance at Werner Park is approximately 600 per game higher for the Royals-Storm Chasers than it was at Rosenblatt. Excluding the final season at Rosenblatt (which was inflated because many people attended "one last time") the Royals averaged 4,909 per game for five seasons between 2005-2009. Excluding the first two seasons at Werner (because attendance was higher due to the novelty of seeing the new park) the Storm Chasers averaged 5,496 per game for the five seasons between 2013-2017.
User avatar
skinzfan23
City Council
Posts: 9134
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 11:26 am
Location: Omaha/Bellevue

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by skinzfan23 »

If you throw out the games at Rosenblatt with over 9,000 people, the average attendance would have taken a huge hit. For most Royals games at the Blatt, they probably only drew 2-3,000.
WBR_Tom
Home Owners Association
Posts: 180
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:02 pm
Location: Papillion, Omaha, and Everything in Between

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by WBR_Tom »

Fort Calhoun wrote:Average attendance at Werner Park is approximately 600 per game higher for the Royals-Storm Chasers than it was at Rosenblatt. Excluding the final season at Rosenblatt (which was inflated because many people attended "one last time") the Royals averaged 4,909 per game for five seasons between 2005-2009. Excluding the first two seasons at Werner (because attendance was higher due to the novelty of seeing the new park) the Storm Chasers averaged 5,496 per game for the five seasons between 2013-2017.
Great points! The notion that attendance has dropped from the Rosenblatt days isn't backed up by facts. Page 106 of their media guide lists official attendance figures:

2002: 4,855
2003: 4,412
2004: 4,616
2005: 4,278
2006: 4,634
2007: 4,803
2008: 5,375
2009: 5,447
2010: 5,888 (Final season at Rosenblatt)
2011: 5,947 (First season at Werner)
2012: 5,938
2013: 5,666
2014: 5,628
2015: 5,516
2016: 5,315

They had six straight seasons from 2002-2007 where the attendance was under 5,000 each season (they've never been below that threshold at Werner). The final three years at the 'Blatt were roughly even with their numbers at Werner, and even as they've tapered off a bit now that the "new ballpark smell" is rubbing off, they're still drawing better than all but the last two years of the 'Blatt. Also, remember that the Rosenblatt season numbers were always goosed by drawing 20,000+ for 4th of July fireworks nights, so in reality the per-game average (outside of those games) was likely a little -- or perhaps a lot -- lower.

Interestingly, the most they've ever drawn for a season is 6,814 -- which would have ranked 8th in the PCL this year -- and it's been nearly 20 years since they were over 6k for a season average. They've never really been a big draw relative to the rest of the league in any of their 49 seasons, regardless of where they played.
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

Honestly if you have the choice between a CU game at TD, an O Royals game at the 'blatt or Chasers game at Werner, is it even close?

You get a feel for what the Chasers would be up against at TD by going to see CU there. Far too big. My work has club seats for CU and the CWS so I go to both occasionally. It's far too big and sparse. Martie and the Chasers group would do better but it would still be an uphill battle.

The 'blatt was interesting for the CWS but again, way too big for the Chasers needs and none of the updates were done with the O Royals in mind.

Werner was built perfect for the size of crowds they draw. My kids love it (my younger one will only go to Werner, refuses to go to TD). So well designed for it's purpose.

Next year should be really cool with it being the 50th Anniversary of both the KC Royals and Omaha franchise. Love how they have maintained their relationship longer than any other AAA/parent club.

Greg
Trips
Library Board
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2014 1:50 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Trips »

I see they started moving dirt on Founders Ridge housing development today. If you count that neighborhood, and the numerous others that are ready to be built you will have thousands not hundreds that can walk to a game. That will bring the commercial development and only help the future attendance numbers. I see a promising upside for the stadium attendance.
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

I saw where UNO baseball is hosting some home games again this year at Werner Park. I think this is the most they've done yet, with 4. They host Kansas, K State, Creighton and Nebraska.

Greg
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

Greg S wrote:I saw where UNO baseball is hosting some home games again this year at Werner Park. I think this is the most they've done yet, with 4. They host Kansas, K State, Creighton and Nebraska.

Greg
The first year they did games at Werner, they had a 7 game package. I think it was a 3 game series against Northern Colorado (which got cancelled), Air Force, Creighton, Nebraska, and Iowa. Something like 4/7 got cancelled that year. They scaled it back to roughly 3-4 per year since.
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

Gotcha. I remember the first year having Bellevue University out there too. Forgot UNO played that many. It seems like the last few years it's been 3 games. We usually hit a few of these.

Greg
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

Great article on the Royals, Chasers and Werner Park:

http://www.omaha.com/sports/plus/shatel ... eabd9.html
Fort Calhoun
New to the Neighborhood
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 3:59 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Fort Calhoun »

Shatel's article indicates that the Omaha Royals wanted to renovate the Rosenblatt area with a smaller version of the park, but were told no by the city. This is the first I heard about this. Does this mean tearing down parts of the stadium (probably the newer parts of the stadium down the first and third base lines and the outfield seats and renovating the original stadium?

Also, being told no by the city does seem to confirm the rumor at that time that the city chose to build a new park downtown rather than make a major renovation of Rosenblatt was that the zoo wanted the property for parking and the downtown ball park was a way to do this
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

My read on it was that they wanted to looking into building brand new on the Rosenblatt site. Remember the initial plans for a downtown stadium were going to be for a minor league stadium for the O Royals. Then the CWS/NCAA got involved. First it was going to be $50 million with movable seats. The NCAA took over and it was a permanent stadium built to their specifications only.

Greg
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

Greg S wrote:My read on it was that they wanted to looking into building brand new on the Rosenblatt site. Remember the initial plans for a downtown stadium were going to be for a minor league stadium for the O Royals. Then the CWS/NCAA got involved. First it was going to be $50 million with movable seats. The NCAA took over and it was a permanent stadium built to their specifications only.

Greg
Even before that, in roughly 2001 when the Qwest Center was under construction, the city released a master plan that included a 10k stadium in North Downtown to be shared by Creighton and the Omaha Royals. If memory serves me, it wasn't where TD Ameritrade Park ended up being. I believe it was going to be somewhere closer to where The Slowdown or maybe The Yard parking was for a while. The NCAA caught wind of it and demanded a new ballpark. Sometimes, I think about how different things would have been if they'd gone that route instead. All in all, I think everyone ended up in the best possible spot for their product...except Creighton baseball. They simply don't fit at TDA park and it won't shock me if they were to build an on campus ballpark in the coming years.

I also hadn't heard about that plan about rebuilding on the Rosenblatt land. It was a non-starter, I'm sure, as the city wanted the zoo to have that land for parking and expansion. It's no wonder the Royals franchise always felt like a second class citizen in their dealings with the city of Omaha and later MECA.
Louie
County Board
Posts: 3758
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2011 4:23 pm
Location: Dundee

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Louie »

omaha79 wrote:
Greg S wrote:My read on it was that they wanted to looking into building brand new on the Rosenblatt site. Remember the initial plans for a downtown stadium were going to be for a minor league stadium for the O Royals. Then the CWS/NCAA got involved. First it was going to be $50 million with movable seats. The NCAA took over and it was a permanent stadium built to their specifications only.

Greg
Even before that, in roughly 2001 when the Qwest Center was under construction, the city released a master plan that included a 10k stadium in North Downtown to be shared by Creighton and the Omaha Royals. If memory serves me, it wasn't where TD Ameritrade Park ended up being. I believe it was going to be somewhere closer to where The Slowdown or maybe The Yard parking was for a while. The NCAA caught wind of it and demanded a new ballpark. Sometimes, I think about how different things would have been if they'd gone that route instead. All in all, I think everyone ended up in the best possible spot for their product...except Creighton baseball. They simply don't fit at TDA park and it won't shock me if they were to build an on campus ballpark in the coming years.

I also hadn't heard about that plan about rebuilding on the Rosenblatt land. It was a non-starter, I'm sure, as the city wanted the zoo to have that land for parking and expansion. It's no wonder the Royals franchise always felt like a second class citizen in their dealings with the city of Omaha and later MECA.
I feel like that would be a waste of dt real estate, but I could be wrong.
omaha79
Parks & Recreation
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by omaha79 »

Louie wrote:
omaha79 wrote:
Greg S wrote:My read on it was that they wanted to looking into building brand new on the Rosenblatt site. Remember the initial plans for a downtown stadium were going to be for a minor league stadium for the O Royals. Then the CWS/NCAA got involved. First it was going to be $50 million with movable seats. The NCAA took over and it was a permanent stadium built to their specifications only.

Greg
Even before that, in roughly 2001 when the Qwest Center was under construction, the city released a master plan that included a 10k stadium in North Downtown to be shared by Creighton and the Omaha Royals. If memory serves me, it wasn't where TD Ameritrade Park ended up being. I believe it was going to be somewhere closer to where The Slowdown or maybe The Yard parking was for a while. The NCAA caught wind of it and demanded a new ballpark. Sometimes, I think about how different things would have been if they'd gone that route instead. All in all, I think everyone ended up in the best possible spot for their product...except Creighton baseball. They simply don't fit at TDA park and it won't shock me if they were to build an on campus ballpark in the coming years.

I also hadn't heard about that plan about rebuilding on the Rosenblatt land. It was a non-starter, I'm sure, as the city wanted the zoo to have that land for parking and expansion. It's no wonder the Royals franchise always felt like a second class citizen in their dealings with the city of Omaha and later MECA.
I feel like that would be a waste of dt real estate, but I could be wrong.
I don't see how it would have been a waste of real estate. Bigger cities and ones considered to be hotter destination cities than Omaha have invested in prime real estate downtown ballparks. I'm thinking of cities like Charlotte, Memphis, Nashville, among others.

I guess it comes back to the old argument that Omaha has had for years. Do you value more having a stadium for a 2 week event that then essentially sits empty for 11 months (outside of a few dozen people that go watch CU regular season games not against Nebraska), or would you want something that is utilized for 90+ dates that creates more everyday foot traffic in a neighborhood? No doubt, the CWS generates money for the city, but as someone who lives in the metro area, I don't get a CWS paycheck. I see way more value, as a resident, in having affordable things to do in my town. Minor League Baseball fits that bill.

North Downtown is filling in. It's been a long time coming. Certainly, the makeup of that area of town would be very different now if the original master plan from that time was followed and a new ballpark was built near The Slowdown in roughly 2007. We'll never know now. As others have said, both TDA Park and Werner suit the needs of their tenants, but neither one has quite lived up to their promise of what they could have done for their respective areas.
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

I know the guys from Slowdown went on record saying they were disappointed the minor league stadium fell through. TD gives that area a big 2 week spike but doesn't draw much else. The minor league team would have at least brought people to the area consistently over 5 months.

As we have seen with the CWS, they have a bunch of stuff open only for the CWS-the Lids Store and the buildings near it.

Greg
User avatar
skinzfan23
City Council
Posts: 9134
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 11:26 am
Location: Omaha/Bellevue

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by skinzfan23 »

I don't like the fact that TD sits empty for probably 330 days a year, but an independent baseball team (which is what would have landed there since the AAA Storm Chasers are still in town) wouldn't have drawn people from outside the Omaha area. Independent baseball teams are lucky to average more than 1-3,000 per game, so yes, there would have been a few people visiting the area, but not enough to make much of an impact.

It would still be nice to have the venue attract more concerts. The Red Sky festival had good attendance but didn't work out.

The good news with the north downtown area is that with Kiewit moving the HQ's there, there should be an uptick in people staying at the hotels and visiting the restaurants and bars.
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

skinzfan23 wrote:I don't like the fact that TD sits empty for probably 330 days a year, but an independent baseball team (which is what would have landed there since the AAA Storm Chasers are still in town) wouldn't have drawn people from outside the Omaha area. Independent baseball teams are lucky to average more than 1-3,000 per game, so yes, there would have been a few people visiting the area, but not enough to make much of an impact.

It would still be nice to have the venue attract more concerts. The Red Sky festival had good attendance but didn't work out.

The good news with the north downtown area is that with Kiewit moving the HQ's there, there should be an uptick in people staying at the hotels and visiting the restaurants and bars.

Yeah no way an independent baseball teams works at TD. Stadium is too big for anything but CWS, plus having to vacate it during prime month of June for over 3 weeks is a disaster for them. TD is great for the CWS but not much else/

Greg
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

They are building on to the concourse at Werner Park. Near the exit on the 3rd base side. They are adding a 2nd permanent team store.

Greg
WBR_Tom
Home Owners Association
Posts: 180
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:02 pm
Location: Papillion, Omaha, and Everything in Between

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by WBR_Tom »

Here's some photos of the addition:



Image

Image

Image

Image
User avatar
Greg S
City Council
Posts: 7440
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

Re: DISCUSSION: Werner Park - Sarpy County/Royals Stadium

Post by Greg S »

Great pics. I saw in Twitter that is's supoosed to open by next home stand (beginning on May the 4th with Star Wars Night).

I am surprised it will be done that fast.

Greg
Post Reply