Bandits set pair of attendance records
An average of 3,906 fans per game attended Quad Cities River Bandits home games at Modern Woodmen Park this season, setting a new record for the highest per-game average for a season in the 56-year history of the Quad Cities Midwest League franchise. A total of 250,004 attended River Bandits regular season games this year, setting the single-season attendance record since the full-stadium renovation following the 2003 season.
The 2015 season also saw five of the largest single-game home crowds - all 7,106 or larger - for the Quad Cities franchise since the start of the 2002 season. On July 31, a crowd of 8,207 at Modern Woodmen Park was the ballpark's largest single-game attendance since the full-stadium renovation. The attendance records were achieved despite weather postponing six River Bandits home games - the most of any Midwest League team this season.
"The quarter-million fans who came to the ballpark this season showed again why the Quad Cities is the No. 1 minor league sports market," said River Bandits owner Dave Heller. "We are tremendously grateful for the dedication and support of the best fans in minor league baseball, who make Modern Woodmen Park the No. 1 minor league ballpark in America!"
Quad Cities' total home attendance of 250,004 this season was the fourth-most since the franchise joined the Midwest League in 1960 and the highest since 1995. For each of the eight seasons under Main Street Baseball, more than 200,000 fans have attended Quad Cities River Bandits games at Modern Woodmen Park - a streak unprecedented in Quad Cities sports history.
"With their record-setting support, our fans have put their outstanding mark on a memorable season of River Bandits baseball," said General Manager Andrew Chesser. "We look forward to celebrating this achievement and another playoff run on the field with our fans beginning Thursday, Sept. 10, at Modern Woodmen Park."
The Quad Cities franchise record for single-season attendance is 260,471 - a mark set in 1994 as the Quad City River Bandits, an affiliate of the Houston Astros. That season's per-game average of 3,755 was the highest for the franchise until 2014, when the River Bandits had a then-franchise-record 3,885 fans per game.
UP NEXT: Tickets are on sale at riverbandits.com and the Modern Woodmen Park box office for the River Bandits' first home playoff game Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. For all 2015 playoff home games, box seat tickets will be $9 each, while all bleacher and general admission tickets will be $5 each. Current ticket plan holders (12 games or more) receive free playoff tickets by making a $100-per-seat renewal deposit toward a 2016 ticket package. Group area picnic pricing for 2015 playoff games is the same as regular season pricing, with full details at riverbandits.com/groups. Suite rentals, including 16 tickets per suite, are $350 per game. Only tickets for the Sept. 10 game are available before the playoffs. Tickets for other possible playoff home games will be made available once the game becomes necessary. A full playoff schedule is available at riverbandits.com.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: With the installation of the Ferris Wheel, the River Bandits ownership in 2014 made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931, and this year the club is matching that effort by opening three new areas. A two-tiered special group deck immediately behind and overlooking the corn field opened in June. A new 11,000-square-foot concourse expansion down the third-base line will open late August. Finally, the club has expanded the children's play area by an additional 5,500 square feet down the right-field line, with additional bounce houses and the newest ride - Spin Zone Bumper Cars - as the latest attraction.