Where is Everybody?

The Phillies are 10 games over .500 for the first time since 2011. They're playing some of their best baseball in years. The team is full of young, exciting players. So how come nobody is going to the games?

Through 46 homes games, the Phils have drawn 1.2 million fans, or an average of 26,000 and change per game (61 percent full). They're 18th in MLB in attendance.

Last season, they drew 1.9 million fans for the season. Which was understandable, because the team stunk. The low point was 2015, when 1.8 million fans attended games at CBP. Here are the figures since 2008:

2008 - 3,422,583
2009 - 3,600,693
2010 - 3,647,249 (2nd in MLB)
2011 - 3,680,718 (most in MLB)
2012 - 3,565,718 (most in MLB)
2013 - 3,012,403
2014 - 2,423,852
2015 - 1,831,080
2016 - 1,915,144
2017 - 1,905,354

Maybe fans haven't bought into the team yet and don't think they're a legitimate playoff team. Maybe it's the weather. The early part of the season was miserable, cold, and wet. And this most recent homestand has featured some of the hottest weather since 2012.

But they're watching on TV and streaming online. The Philadelphia Business Journal recently said TV ratings were up 5 percent from last season. And streaming had increased by more than 100 percent.

The Phillies have 3 weeks to convince the fans they're for real. Because after the Eagles report to training camp on July 25, it's pretty much a sure thing the Birds will have the complete attention of the region's fan base.