Last week MiLB.com released an article stating that over 41 million fans passed through the gates of Minor League ballparks in 2017 for the 13th consecutive season, with overall attendance increasing 1.1 percent from 2016, and average attendance rising 2.4 percent over last season.
The total attendance mark of 41,832,364 is only second to Major League Baseball among all other professional sports industries, edging out industry giants like the NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA, MLS etc. Business leaders and fans alike may not take Minor League Baseball too seriously.