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GLENDALE -- The Dodgers were in Arizona for a shorter period than usual during spring training this season, but the club set a new franchise record for average attendance during 2014 home games at Camelback Ranch.
In 12 home games this spring the Dodgers drew a total of 114,402 fans, for an average of 9,534 per game, an increase of 21.4% over 2013. It beat the previous club record for spring attendance, 9.367 fans per game in 2009, the first year Camelback Ranch opened.
In the six years since Camelback Ranch opened, the Dodgers have averaged 8.372 fans per home game. The highest average home crowd the Dodgers ever drew at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, their spring home from 1948-2008, was 6,534 per game in 1991. The largest crowd ever at Holman Stadium was 9,293, set on March 9, 2008 against Boston (aka the "Public enemy No. 1" game).
None of these figures include spring exhibition games played at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers also 7,998 per game in their nine road games this season, including helping the Cubs set a new Cactus League record last Friday with 15,191 fans at the brand new Cubs Park in Mesa. In 16 road spring training games in 2013 the Dodgers drew an average of 7,232 per game.
In their five weekday home games (Monday through Thursday), the Dodgers' 2014 average of 7,371 fans per game was a slight increase (6.7%) over the 6,908 fans per game during nine weekday home games in 2013. The big jump came during weekend games (Friday through Sunday). In 2013 the Dodgers drew 8,912 fans per game in their eight weekend home games, but this spring saw that jump to 11,078 per game in their seven weekend home games, an increase of 24.3%.
In case you were wondering, the average temperature at first pitch for the Dodgers' 21 Cactus League games in Arizona was 75.2 degrees with a low of 59 in Maryvale Park on March 1 (the threatened rainout that never came; there were only two other games under 70 degrees, none below 66) and a high of 82 in Goodyear Ballpark against the Reds on March 5, one of three night games for the Dodgers this spring.