It has been a big year for the Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie; Appalachian League), who welcomed their record-breaking 48,039th fan on Tuesday. That marks a new single-season high, surpassing the total of 48,038 in 1994.
The team came into Tuesday evening’s contest needing just 641 fans to break the mark from 1994, and have averaged 1,673 guests over 29 openings in 2016. For the Cardinals, this is the third consecutive year that Johnson City has seen a dramatic increase in attendance throughout the season.
“This record is a testament to the community of Johnson City and their continued support of the Johnson City Cardinals” added General Manager Tyler Parsons about the record breaking season. “We’ve continued to add new elements to the game day atmosphere each season, and the growth we’ve had over the last few years has been very rewarding. It’s an exciting time to be in Johnson City and be part of the Johnson City Cardinals organization.”
This season marks the first year for the Johnson City Cardinals under the new ownership of the Boyd Sports, LLC. In addition to the Johnson City Cardinals, Boyd Sports LLC operates the Tennessee Smokies, who also saw a season attendance record break this year at Smokies Stadium.
Tyler Parsons has been the General Manager of the Johnson City Cardinals since 2014. Going into Thursday’s contest Parsons has welcomed over 128,000 fans through the gates in his three years with the Cardinals.
From left to right: JayCee, Doug Lanz (fan no. 48,039), and Tyler Parsons. Image courtesy of the Johnson City Cardinals.