Attendence attention

The prime seats for Monday's exhibition game in Fort Myers.
The game was called for rain after five innings.

I've been to Twins spring training twice (2008 and 2011), and the games were always, if not sold out. close to it.

So this photo caught my eye. I had heard that the attendance at Fort Myers was noticeably lower this spring, and it was a rainy Monday, but still ... man, that's sparce.

Just as one shouldn't put weight on spring training stats for players, I'm not sure that low fan turnout at spring training games, per se, tells us much about what lies ahead for turnout at Target Field.

It figures to be down some, certainly; the Twins lost 195 games the last two seasons combined, and the Vegas oddsmakers set their over-under for Minnesota at about the same level — which means they figure the bettors expect the same.

But it has also been a longer-than-usual exhibition schedule, which may have spread out whatever games the locals go to; it's been a rather mild winter in Minnesota (at least until this month), which might have led Upper Midwest fans to stay put; and it seems, as a follower of the team, that there's been more nippy (for southwest Florida) weather than usual. Those are all factors that might nibble away at the turnout as well.

Weather or not ... if you'll pardon the pun ... it's now less than two weeks from Opening Day, and Minnesota is still getting winter stuff. There might be some scenes like this in April in Target Field.