It's probably a good thing that a 15,000-seat wedge was cut out of Cinergy Field this year. That way, the dwindling number of fans who attend Cincinnati Reds games can watch river barges pass, and not stare into a red and green cliff of empty seats.

        After 41 games, the Reds' attendance is down 21 percent compared to last season, to 994,409, a drop of more than 260,000 fans. The average crowd numbers 24,254 this season, down from 30,710 a year ago.

        Any way it's measured, it's the third-biggest drop in Major League Baseball this year.

        This weekend's series against the Cleveland Indians is expected to be the first of the year with attendance of 100,000 — compared to six by this time last year.

        But according to Mark Metzner, with ticket broker Riverfront Choice Tickets, fan demand has fallen to the point where upper-deck seats are selling for below face value for the Reds-Indians series.

        Only 28,816 turned out Thursday night, by far the smallest crowd for an Indians-Reds game in Cincinnati.

        Reds chief operating officer John Allen was unavailable for comment.

        Cal Levy, the team's marketing director, attributed the decline to the team's play — the Reds have the worst record in the National League — as well as its many injured stars. The stadium is also smaller by 13,000 seats, and he pointed to lessened enthusiasm over Ken Griffey Jr., whose arrival helped the Reds draw more than 2.5 million fans last year.

        But a barrage of other factors may also be hurting attendance:

        • An unfavorable schedule: The Reds draw best on weekends, but the weekend opponents haven't been strong. The Chicago Cubs make three trips to Cincinnati, but only one of those series is on a weekend. The San Francisco Giants — with Barry Bonds chasing a home-run record — come to town in August, but for a weeknight series. The Reds' last four weekend series this year — from mid-August — are Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Montreal. None of those teams is a strong draw in Cincinnati and only Philadelphia has a winning record.

        • Parking and construction: Cutting away Cinergy Field to make room for the new ballpark not only reduced capacity by 13,000 seats, but it also took away hundreds of convenient parking spaces. Parking is now harder to find, and construction in the area also makes it harder for fans to walk from downtown garages to Cinergy.

        • Civil unrest: The Reds won't say it, but downtown restaurateurs will: The April riots in Cincinnati may be keeping fans away. Restaurants are seeing less business on game days, and fewer fans are coming in after the games as well.

        Bob Layton, owner of the In Between Tavern near Cinergy Field, downtown, said his gameday business is down by at least one-third. “For big series like St. Louis, Chicago, I've noticed a hell of a reduction,” he said.

        Across Major League Baseball, attendance is flat at 38.6 million, compared to the same point in the season a year ago. Attendance is way up at new ballparks in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh. And winning teams are pulling more fans into Minnesota and Seattle.

        The drop in attendance isn't confined to Cincinnati. Across baseball, 17 of 30 teams have seen their attendance decline. In particular:

        • In Atlanta, attendance is down about 13 percent. Paul Adams, the Braves' director of ticket sales, said a weak economy contributed to a decline in season ticket sales of 4,000.

        • In Cleveland, attendance is down about 8 percent, though the team is still on track to draw 3 million fans this year. Spokesman Bart Swain said the team played too many home games in April, when cold weather kept fans away. And the new unbalanced schedule means strong draws like the New York Yankees come to town less often.

        • Three years of losing has caught up with the Baltimore Orioles, who've lost some season ticket sales and have seen attendance drop 13 percent, but they'll still hit the 3-million mark.

        • The Detroit Tigers — in only their second year in new Comerica Park — have seen attendance drop 27 percent, a difference of 384,000 fans.

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