Yasel Antuna and Robert Hassell manned left and center in the Javelinas outfield as the only two Washington Nationals in the lineup.
Antuna batted ninth and reached base four times with a single, double, and two walks while driving in a run and cutting down a runner at second base.
Hassell batted third and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout. On defense, he had one putout and fielded two singles.
Peoria makes its home debut this afternoon against Glendale.
MiLB ATTENDANCE STILL DOWN FROM ’10s PEAK
This probably shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the Boys in Durham are reporting that while 2022 was better than 2021, it’s still significantly lower than 2019.
The prevailing wisdom is that depressed corporate/group sales and lower/fewer season-ticket-holder renewals are to blame. Both are certainly plausible – the former because most teams cut back on staffing after going 0-for-2020, the latter because, well, the same.
His highness at Ballpark Digest has yet to weigh in for 2022, but judging by his missives on the Partner Leagues, they’re seeing the same pattern.
Having written a thesis related to sports marketing, I am reminded of what my professors repeated ad infinitum: Your competition is not other teams or leagues or sports, but things like the movies, restaurants, amusement parks, etc. The pandemic, regardless of whether you believe it’s ongoing or not, has changed habits and behaviors. The teetering economy certainly doesn’t help either.