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Discrimination and Demand: The Effect of International Players on Attendance in Major League Baseball

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  • Scott Tainsky
  • Jason A. Winfree

Abstract

Objectives. This article tests the presence of demand‐driven discrimination attributable to foreign‐born players in Major League Baseball (MLB). We quantify the change in demand at MLB games given the number of foreign players on an MLB team. We further measure how matching market population demographics and team demographics affects demand. Methods. We use regression analysis to estimate the effect on attendance of a change in the number of foreign players on a team. We then use these estimates to find the change in revenue for the team. Results. The results show that the effect evolves over time. At the outset of the sample (1985), the net effect of an additional foreign‐born player was a decrease in ticket demand. This effect diminished steadily until 1992, when the net effect became positive, peaking in 2000, and then slightly decreasing until the end of the sample (2005). The matching of team and population demographics was not found to be significant. Conclusions. We discuss the implications of this result on league policy decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott Tainsky & Jason A. Winfree, 2010. "Discrimination and Demand: The Effect of International Players on Attendance in Major League Baseball," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 91(1), pages 117-128, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:91:y:2010:i:1:p:117-128
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2010.00684.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Wolfgang Maennig & Steffen Q. Mueller, 2021. "Consumer and employer discrimination in professional sports markets – New evidence from Major League Baseball," Working Papers 069, Chair for Economic Policy, University of Hamburg.
    2. Jeff Hamrick & John Rasp, 2015. "The Connection Between Race and Called Strikes and Balls," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 16(7), pages 714-734, October.
    3. Iuliia Naidenova & Cornel Nesseler & Petr Parshakov & Aleksei Chusovliankin, 2020. "After the Crimea crisis: Employee discrimination in Russia and Ukraine," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Mara Konjer & Henk Erik Meier & Katrin Wedeking, 2017. "Consumer Demand for Telecasts of Tennis Matches in Germany," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 18(4), pages 351-375, May.
    5. Dirk Semmelroth & Bernd Frick & Robert Simmons & Hojun Sung, 2022. "Where to Go Next? Examining the Effect of Franchise Expansion and Location on Game-Level Attendance in Major League Soccer," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 23(5), pages 524-547, June.
    6. Andrew W. Nutting, 2012. "Customer Discrimination and Fernandomania," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 13(4), pages 406-430, August.
    7. Jye-Shyan Wang & Wen-Jhan Jane & Yu-Hung Cheng & Pei-Hsin Fang, 2021. "Does fan discrimination exist? Mixed-method investigation of customer discrimination in Chinese professional baseball league," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 11(3), pages 477-496, September.
    8. Ira Horowitz & Jim Lackritz, 2012. "Jolting Joe and Charlie Hustle: The Immediate Economic Impact of an Extended Hitting Streak," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 57(1), pages 42-49, May.
    9. Iuliia Naidenova & Petr Parshakov & Sofiia Paklina, 2020. "Determinants of Football Fans’ Happiness: Evidence from Facial Emotion Recognition," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 1103-1116, March.
    10. Brian M. Mills & Rodney Fort, 2023. "Performance Quality Preference Heterogeneity in Major League Baseball," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 24(3), pages 352-373, April.

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