There was a major attendance milestone this weekend for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; Intentional League), who welcomed their five millionth fan.
Last weekend as a busy one at Coca-Cola Park. As we covered earlier, the IronPigs are off to their best start for attendance in franchise history, as the team averaged 9,246 fans per game over their first four openings, including a crowd of 10,100 on Sunday. That surge allowed the IronPigs to hit the five-million fan threshold.
“Our fans have proved time and time again that they are truly the best in all of Minor League Baseball,” exclaimed IronPigs President & General Manager Kurt Landes. “Reaching the five million fan mark in just over eight seasons puts our organization in exclusive company across the history of Minor League Baseball and we owe all of our success to our loyal fans and business partners.”
The all-time attendance statistics at Coca-Cola are mind-boggling with every seat in the ballpark sold for 393 of the 557 (70.6%) all-time regular season games – including all four times in four home dates this season — with 134 all-time capacity crowds of 10,000 or more. Coca-Cola Park is one of just a handful of venues in the history of Minor League Baseball to surpass five million fans in such a short period of time.
The IronPigs have drawn a franchise-record 36,983 fans to Coca-Cola Park during their first four home games of the season. This feat is even more impressive considering that both the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Bethlehem Steel FC hosted home games this weekend along with the other area entertainment options. The previous four-game attendance mark to start a season was established in 2011 when the IronPigs welcomed 33,021 fans through the turnstiles.
To keep up with seating and hospitality demand, Coca-Cola Park has undergone significant seating additions over the last nine seasons. Most recently, the club introduced the “Pig Pen” in 2015 – a unique seating area that puts fans directly in front of the players in the left field bullpens and just inches away from the on-field action. Previously, the club had unmasked the popular “Hot Corner” and “Bacon Strip” in 2013 and the Red Robin Tiki Terrace & Oasis in 2012.
Coca-Cola Park has been among the most acclaimed venues in professional sports since its 2008 opening, receiving numerous honors and distinctions, including Ballpark Digest’s “Ballpark of the Year” award and “Best Game Operations and Presentation” award as chosen by gameops.com. It has also drawn rave reviews for its intimacy, fan-friendly atmosphere and architectural design. Furthermore, FoxNews.com ranked Lehigh Valley IronPigs fans as the best fans in all of Minor League Baseball.