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MLB Finishes 2013 With Sixth Best Attendance Total Ever; Last Decade Includes 10 Best-Attended Individual Seasons in MLB History

Driven by a compelling second half and competitive balance throughout the game, Major League Baseball finished the 2013 regular season with an attendance of 74,026,895, the sixth highest total of all-time, it was announced today. With another strong showing in 2013, all 10 of the highest season totals in Major League Baseball history have come in the last decade.

          In 2,426 dates this season, MLB averaged 30,514 fans per game. MLB's 2013 total trails only the four-year span from 2005-2008 and last year's total of 74,859,268. The 2013 total was only 1.1 percent lower than 2012, despite the fact that this season featured the second-highest number of weather-related postponements (37) in the last nine years. By May of this year, the sport had compiled more rainouts in 2013 than in all of 2012, when there were 21. In late June, MLB's attendance was 4.5 percent off the pace of 2012.

          Among the highlights of the season:

  • Eight Clubs surpassed the three-million mark, while 15 eclipsed the 2.5-million mark (up from 13 in 2012).
  • The eight to reach three million have all now reached three million in consecutive seasons, including the New York Yankees (15 straight); the St. Louis Cardinals (10 straight); the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (10 straight); the Philadelphia Phillies (seven straight); the San Francisco Giants (four straight); and the Detroit Tigers, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Texas Rangers (all two straight).
  • The San Francisco Giants ended the 2013 season with 246 consecutive sell-outs, dating back to October 1, 2010, for the longest active streak in the Majors.
  • The Texas Rangers posted back-to-back seasons of at least three million for the first time in Club history; the past two seasons have been the most well-attended in franchise history.
  • The Cincinnati Reds drew 2,492,059, establishing a new record at Great American Ball Park and surpassing the previous mark of 2,355,259 in the ballpark's inaugural season in 2003. In addition, it was the Club's highest overall attendance since 2000 and the second-highest since 1978.
  • The Pittsburgh Pirates drew 2,256,862, marking the most since PNC Park's inaugural season in 2001 (2,436,139), and second-largest total in franchise history.
  • The Baltimore Orioles drew 2,357,561, their highest attendance since 2005.
  • The Toronto Blue Jays drew 2,536,562, their highest attendance since 1997.
  • The Washington Nationals drew 2,652,422, their highest at Nationals Park and the most since their inaugural season in D.C. in 2005.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers led the Majors with 3,743,527, the first time they led the league since 2009.
  • The New York Yankees led the American League with 3,279,589, marking the 11th straight season they have drawn the most among A.L. Clubs.
  • The Kansas City Royals posted their second-highest attendance (1,750,754) since 1993.

"After the challenges posed by poor weather early in the season, our game showed its resiliency with a terrific second half," Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said. "I thank baseball fans for their incredible passion and loyalty this year and throughout the last decade, which has featured unparalleled support. As October begins with tonight's highly anticipated game in Pittsburgh, we are primed for a marvelous Postseason."