Who are the top five road draws in baseball?
The Chicago Cubs are the top dog, bringing in an average of 36,393 on the road.
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The New York Yankees have fallen to second, with 35,199 coming to watch them play in opposing stadiums.
And the Boston Red Sox are third, averaging 34,283 per road game.
The next two — particularly the fifth best draw on the road — are surprising.
The Washington Nationals are currently the fifth best road show in baseball.
Yes, the lowly Washington Nationals. The woeful Washington Nationals. The hapless Washington Nationals.
People come out in droves to watch them play every place but in Washington, where the Nationals are among the lowest attendance in the league, averaging just 23.028 a game at Nationals Park.
On the road, the Nationals bring in 33,893 — just behind also surprising San Diego Padres, who average 34,111 fans on the road.
What is the draw? Guaranteed win night?
Of course, the Nationals have benefited from a series of road games against the Phillies, Mets and Yankees, where they draw an average of 43,000 per game.
Speaking of road attendance, the Red Sox are the gift that keeps on giving in the Baltimore-Washington area.
After setting records at Nationals Park last week for a three-game interleague series, drawing a total of 125,000 fans, the Red Sox are now filling Camden Yards, with nearly 37,000 in attendance for a Monday night game to watch Boston’s 4-0 win over Baltimore.
With the nine game they will play at Camden Yards — and the three they played in Washington — the Red Sox will account for about 12 percent of the total attendance of the Orioles and Nationals combined (Boston games will likely wind up drawing at least a total of 458,000 fans to both ballparks this year, and the combined attendance of the Nationals and Orioles should wind up around 3.8 million).
Radio
I will be on The Sports Reporters on ESPN 980 AM Washington today (Tuesday) and Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m.
To learn more about Thom Loverro, go to www.thomloverro.com
