Did a lack of attendance at MLB games affect level of play during the pandemic?
Every aspect of life was dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the realm of sports was no exception. A noteworthy change was the lack of fans in attendance at events. Major League Baseball (MLB) was one of many leagues that had to alter the way they worked in order to continue playing their sport.
The MLB was facing a serious complication when fans weren’t allowed to attend games because they were losing a primary source of income. MLB teams depend largely on ticket sales to make money, so when the world went into lockdown, the league and its teams were pushed to find alternative revenue streams.
2020 was far from a normal year for the MLB, with a shortened season at 898 games and no attendance record. Obviously, this was a drastic difference from the previous year when there was an average of about 28,000 spectators per game. The league was forced to change in order to accommodate the new reality of fanless games, but did this also affect how the players performed in empty stadiums?
The MLB’s standard of play was pretty much unaffected by the absence of spectators. It’s apparent that the league’s revenue suffered greatly from the absence of supporters, but it’s unclear whether the standard of play on the field was either bolstered or damaged. While some could contend that the absence of spectators might result in a more intense and focused level of play, others might say that the crowd’s enthusiasm and energy are crucial to a game’s overall caliber.
MLB players are professionals who are trained to perform at the highest level regardless of the conditions, which is one argument against the claim that the absence of spectators affected the level of play. These players are paid millions of dollars to compete, and whether they are playing in front of a full stadium or an empty one, they are expected to give it their all on the field. Consequently, it doesn’t appear that the absence of fans would have had a substantial effect on the level of play.
However, some might even go as far as to say that the MLB’s standard of play could have actually suffered as a result of the vacation of fans. A crowd’s intensity and passion might inspire players to give their best effort and push themselves to their limits. In the 2019 season, teams averaged 9.7 runs and 2.8 home runs per game compared to 9.2 runs and 2.5 home runs per game in the 2020 season. Without supporters, athletes might not have felt the excitement and incentive that comes with competing in front of a live audience, thus resulting in a slightly lower level of performance.
Furthermore, in order to protect players and personnel, the MLB put in place a number of safety measures. Even if the stadium was packed with spectators, these protocols, which included testing, quarantining, and social seclusion measures, would have created quite an unusual environment for the players and could have had an impact on their quality of play.
Moreover, it’s hard to say whether the MLB’s level of play was influenced by the absence of spectators, but it’s obvious that the league’s revenue was significantly damaged. The league and its teams suffered greatly from the loss of ticket and merchandising sales, which also made it necessary for them to find new sources of income during the pandemic.
Utilizing social media and other online channels to engage with fans and advertise their products, the MLB and its teams had to get inventive with their marketing and advertising techniques. Many teams developed virtual fan experiences that allowed fans to watch games via a live stream. This way teams could preserve the connections they had with their supporters even if they couldn’t physically attend the games.
The pandemic may not have affected the level of play in the MLB, but the league and its teams suffered a great deal from the revenue loss brought on by the lack of spectators. The MLB slowly began to invite people back into the stadiums as the pandemic began to subside. This represented a return to some sort of normal routine, which was a comfort for both the league and its supporters. In 2021 the season average for attendance was back up to about 19,000 and the level of play continued to stay about the same, with teams averaging around 9 runs and 2.5 home runs per game.
