RIP Ron Santo

Though I did not now him personally, I respect his work ethic and love for the Cubbies. As one of my favorite players and former Cub great Andre Dawson said, "There was always a smile on his face. Being around the game, with his condition, is what just really made him happy. He loved the Cubs. He loved broadcasting. I just never really heard him complain. He was always smiling. Thank for the memories Ron." Yes, thanks. It's a shame the Cubbies couldn't muster a title in his lifetime, but there's always next year, right Ronny?

BeerGuy's Tribute Film

Well, another baseball season is in the books, though Chicago's season ended on October 2nd (or as some would argue, much earlier...).

Regardless, it was another fun season taking care of my beloved baseball fans. The BeerGuy is considering retirement, so he put together this film to encapsulate his 17-year career. Hope you enjoy.

Adam's BeerGuy Tribute from adam carter on Vimeo.

BeerGuy feels the Pain: Attendance down across the MLB

As many Chicago fans (and beer vendors) can attest, attendance has been down this summer, especially this September. Wrigley has had empty bleachers and the sensitive Sox fans lost interest once the Sox began their autumn swoon.

Today's article in the New York Times illustrates that attendance across the league has still not climbed above pre-recession levels.

Nearing their first division title in 15 years, the Reds drew 12,000 fans to a recent night game, their smallest crowd of the year.

The sight of so many empty seats at stadiums where pennant contenders are vying for a chance to play in the postseason is a glaring reminder that baseball is still not back to its prerecession heights, and that professional sports leagues more broadly continue to suffer from the after-effects of the economic downturn after years of record growth.

Attendance across Major League Baseball is down about a third of 1 percent this year after falling in 2008 and 2009. Declines have been most noticeable in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, where the Mets, the Cubs and the Dodgers have had disappointing seasons, but also in Baltimore, Cleveland and Toronto, where attendance has slipped for several years.


But baseball officials and analysts say that many fans are still pinching pennies, even if economists have declared the recession officially over. With more games broadcast in high definition and the price of flat panel televisions declining, more fans are content to watch their teams at home and perhaps save their money for playoff tickets.

“It’s still a hangover from previous years when everyone was worried about the economy,” said Jon Greenberg, executive editor of the Team Marketing Report, which publishes the Fan Cost Index. “People realize they can do without as many games.”