Attendance Effects of Star Pitchers in Major League Baseball

Russell Ormiston

Journal of Sports Economics, 2014, vol. 15, issue 4, 338-364

Abstract: While the determinants of Major League Baseball attendance have been thoroughly researched, the literature is conspicuously incomplete in regard to the attendance effects of star players. Addressing two concerns in the research, this study develops two measures of players’ star power and, analyzing within-season fluctuations in game attendance from 1969-2010, demonstrates a positive and statistically significant relationship between attendance and varying gradations of star power of the home and visiting teams’ starting pitchers. Using over four decades worth of data, the results of this study also suggest that fan responsiveness to star players has declined considerably over time.

Keywords: Major League Baseball; attendance; superstar effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jospec:v:15:y:2014:i:4:p:338-364

DOI: 10.1177/1527002512461155

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