Attendance Ranked High: Pelicans Drew Well in 1999

MYRTLE BEACH, SC - Minor League Baseball recently released the official attendance figures from the 1999 season according to ranking in each classification. The Pelicans tallied an attendance total of 232,619 at Coastal Federal Field over a span of 66 gate openings (3,525/game - ranked third in the Carolina League) in their first season.

These numbers do not reflect playoff attendance. The Carolina, California, Florida State, Midwest and South Atlantic leagues make up the 60 teams at full season Class A (140-game schedule). The New York-Penn, Northwest, Appalachian and Pioneer leagues make up the 40 teams in short season Class A (70-game schedule).

Hypothetically, the Pelicans attendance total of 232,619 would have ranked 20th out of 30 teams at the Double A level, and they would not have been ranked among the Triple A teams because the lowest attendance at that level was 269,002. Minor League Baseball drew an all-time total attendance high of 35,179,471 based on 10,390 gate openings.

The Pelicans playoff attendance total was 8,321 in three gate openings. Quote Gary Saunders, Pelicans Director of Ticketing & Assistant General Manager: "We are all quite proud of this accomplishment. This recognition is the result of a great deal of hard work by our staff, which I consider to be the best in the business. However, our Inaugural Season is now in the rear view mirror. The ticket department is already hard at work in an effort to top last year's attendance figures. We are certainly off to a great start, so I expect even bigger and better things in 2000."