The last few months have seriously tested baseball fans' patience. But don't expect Boston Red Sox supporters to bail on their team, even in the face of a global pandemic.
As Major League Baseball (finally) prepares for a coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, Forbes published a ranking of the league's most loyal fanbases.
And wouldn't you know it, the Red Sox top the list, three spots ahead of the rival New York Yankees.
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Here's the top 10, per Forbes:
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Chicago Cubs
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. New York Yankees
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Milwaukee Brewers
7. San Francisco Giants
8. Cleveland Indians
9. Philadelphia Phillies
10. Atlanta Braves
Forbes determined its rankings by analyzing the following metrics: local television ratings, stadium attendance (based on percent capacity), secondary ticket demand, merchandise sales, social media reach and "hometown crowd reach," defined as the percentage of a city's population that watched, listened to and/or attended a game in the past year.
Based on those metrics, it makes sense why Sox fans top this list. Regardless of what you think about Fenway Park's "sellout streak," the Red Sox consistently fill their home seats (even in leaner years), while Sox fans travel notoriously well to opposing ballparks.
Simply put, the Red Sox matter in Boston a lot more than many MLB teams do to fans in their respective cities. Oh, and to state the obvious: You're more likely to continue supporting your team after enduring an 86-year championship drought.
Boston Red Sox
As Forbes noted, Boston's passionate fanbase isn't without its issues, as Torii Hunter recently revealed he was the subject of repeated racist taunts at Fenway Park. The Red Sox acknowledged Hunter's experience in a statement and vowed to address the "larger systemic issues" of racism that Hunter highlighted.