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Baseball is perhaps the sport most synonymous with a father-son/daughter relationship. So many people recount childhood memories of going to the ballpark, ones that last a lifetime. In recent years, though, sitting though an MLB game in-person could be a slog, especially on a holiday with a full agenda. Therefore, an afternoon at the stadium on Father's Day lost some of its cachet.
Until 2023, that is. With the league and fans both being rejuvenated by a crisper pace of play and more excitement-inducing rules, this Father's Day produced the highest Sunday attendance in 15 years, according to MLB Communications. In total, 603,303 thousand people flocked to a stadium to see the team of their choice, which comes to an impressive 37,706 average.
It appears baseball is firmly back to being not just a summer holiday staple but a go-to destination on Sunday afternoons. Time is no longer a pressing concern, as games have been cut by nearly a half hour this season due to the groundbreaking pitch clock. If numbers continue to soar across the league, America might have to put this MLB implementation next to the greatest inventions of all-time.
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Families did not need to stress about fitting in an obligatory ballpark outing before going to a cookout or gathering. It can be thoroughly and properly enjoyed once again. This was no Father's Day fluke, though. For the first time since 2017, more than 1.5 million people attended a game in consecutive weekends.
It does bare mentioning that the ESPN Sunday night game featured the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox both times during that stretch, but that is hardly evidence of a nationwide baseball bug. No, it is more than that. Fans are openly and wholeheartedly expressing their love for baseball again. And the MLB is reaping the benefits.
