Chicago Cubs Attendance (2007–2016)
A seemingly continuous up-and-down MLB team, The Chicago Cubs have experienced an uptick in fan attendance over the past few years, in large part due to a World Series win.
In 2008, the Chicago Cubs finished 97–64, netting the team the 1st place position in the NL Central.
Unfortunately, the Cubs went on to lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Divisonal Series 3–0, ending the season in an abrupt and dissapointing fashion. Led by a dynamic cast featuring Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Carloz Zambrano, the Cubs were a force in the late 2000’s. However, the team would eventually disband in 2010, leading to another rebuild for a team that hadn’t won a World Series since 1908.
As represented by the data, we can see a decrease in attendance from 2012–2014, which makes sense considering the records over the course of those three seasons were 61–101, 66–99, and then 73–89. Despite these Cubs teams faltering year after year, the attendance remained well in the upper 2 million range, proving the fan base to be rather loyal throughout the dark periods.
Then, in 2015 the Cubs storm back to the top of the standings, finishing with a 97–65, good enough for 3rd in NL Central. Led by the new hitting duo of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, while complimented by the pitching of Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, the Cubs eventually flamed out against the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series.
In 2016, the Cubs stormed back to the top of the standings, finishing with a legit record 103–58, good enough for 1st in the NL Central. The Data shows a significant rise in attendance in the 2015–2016 seasons, and the 2016 season ended with the Cubs finally wining the World Series.