March 25, 2009 - New Yorkers To Mayor: Take Me Out To The Ballgame, Quinnipiac University New York City Poll Finds; Yankees Top Mets In Hearts Of New York Fans Word format By a narrow 49 - 46 percent margin, New Yorkers would like to go to a baseball game with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Since 49 percent of all New Yorkers say they are "not at all" interested in Major League Baseball, that's probably not a bad fan base. In an open-ended question, the 50 percent of adult New Yorkers who say they are "very interested" or "somewhat interested" in Major League Baseball were asked to pick their favorite team. The Yankees are number one, at 56 percent, with the Mets at 33 percent, followed by 3 percent for the Red Sox, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Baseball fans want to see a game with Mayor Bloomberg 60 - 38 percent, 61 - 37 percent among Yankees fans and 57 - 39 percent among Mets fans. If the Yankees face the Mets in a Subway Series, 55 percent of New York City fans back the Bombers and 42 percent pull for the Amazins. The Mets win 51 - 46 percent in Queens, while the Yankees are number one in the other boroughs, especially The Bronx 69 - 30 percent. "While it's a close call among all New Yorkers, seeing a ballgame with Mayor Mike is a big hit among baseball fans," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Yankees fans especially would like Mayor Bloomberg to buy them some peanuts and crackerjacks. "Except for Queens, New York City still is the home of the Bronx Bombers, who are favored in The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island, too." When New Yorkers are given four teams from which to choose, 42 percent of adults list the Yankees as their favorite team, with 28 percent who cite the Mets, 7 percent who follow the Brooklyn Cyclones and 3 percent who cheer for the Staten Island Yankees. Interest in the new Yankee Stadium and the Mets Citi Field is about even as 30 percent of adults say they plan a trip to The Bronx to see the new stadium, compared to 29 percent who plan a trip to Flushing to see the new home of the Mets. "If we can't go with Mayor Bloomberg, then we'll watch on TV. Two thirds of New Yorkers don't plan to visit the new stadiums this year," Carroll said. Derek Jeter is the favorite of 48 percent of Bombers fans, including 51 percent of women and 46 percent of men. Alex Rodriguez gets the nod from only 9 percent of pinstripe fans, followed by Mariano Rivera at 5 percent. David Wright is the most Amazin' for 27 percent of Mets fans, with 17 percent cheering for Jose Reyes and 4 percent for Carlos Beltran. "Derek Jeter owns the hearts of Yankee fans. With the Mets, it's more of a collective: David Wright, followed by the whole team," Carroll said. "And A-Rod's off-field antics are taking a toll on his popularity." From March 17 - 22, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,362 New York City adults, with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and nationwide as a public service and for research. For more data or RSS feed - http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, or call (203) 582-5201. 34. How interested are you in following major league baseball - very interested, somewhat interested or not interested at all? ALL ADULTS............................................ Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Very interested 19% 29% 11% 22% 16% 17% 21% 25% Smwht interested 31 31 32 33 33 27 31 32 Not at all 49 40 56 44 50 56 48 43 DK/NA 1 - 1 1 1 1 1 - TREND: How interested are you in following major league baseball- very interested, somewhat interested or not interested at all? ALL ADULTS............ Mar 25 Aug 31 May 28 2009 2007 2007 Very interested 19 27 23 Smwht interested 31 29 32 Not at all 49 44 45 DK/NA 1 - - 35. (If 'very' or 'somewhat' q34) What is your favorite major league baseball team? BASEBALL FANS (VERY or SMWHT Q34)..................... Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl New York Yankees 56% 60% 52% 68% 52% 65% 46% 62% New York Mets 33 29 38 22 35 22 43 34 Boston Red Sox 3 3 2 2 4 4 - 1 Los Angeles Dodgers 1 1 1 1 1 2 - 2 OTHER SPECIFY 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - DK/NA 4 3 5 5 3 2 6 1 TREND: (If 'very' or 'somewhat' interested in major league baseball) What is your favorite major league baseball team? BASEBALL FANS......... Mar 25 Aug 31 May 28 2009 2007 2007 Baltimore Orioles - - 1 Boston Red Sox 3 3 3 Cleveland Indians - 1 - Los Angeles Dodgers 1 - 1 New York Mets 33 35 36 New York Yankees 56 51 50 St. Louis Cardinals - - 1 OTHER SPECIFY 1 2 1 DK/NA 4 5 5 36. (If Yankee fan) Who is your favorite Yankee? YANKEE FANS Q35.. Tot Men Wom Johnny Damon 1 1 1 Derek Jeter 48 46 51 Mickey Mantle 1 2 - Hideki Matsui 2 2 1 Don Mattingly 2 3 - Paul O'Neill 1 1 2 Jorge Posada 3 3 2 Mariano Rivera 5 7 3 Alex Rodriguez 9 7 12 Babe Ruth 1 1 1 Joe Torre 1 1 - Bernie Williams 2 3 - No favorite/Like whole team 9 9 9 Other 5 4 6 DK/NA 9 10 8 TREND: (If Yankee fan) Who is your favorite Yankee? YANKEE FANS........... Mar 25 Aug 31 May 28 2009 2007 2007 Yogi Berra - 1 - Roger Clemens - - 2 Johnny Damon 1 - - Jason Giambi - 1 2 Derek Jeter 48 43 43 Mickey Mantle 1 1 1 Hideki Matsui 2 2 2 Don Mattingly 2 1 2 Paul O'Neill 1 1 - Andy Pettitte - 1 2 Jorge Posada 3 4 4 Mariano Rivera 5 5 5 Alex Rodriguez 9 15 10 Babe Ruth 1 - - Alfonso Soriano - - 1 Joe Torre 1 1 - Bernie Williams 2 2 3 No favorite/Like whole team 9 7 12 Other 5 5 3 DK/NA 9 9 8 37. (If Mets fan) Who is your favorite Met? METS FANS Q35.... Tot Men Wom Carlos Beltran 4 5 3 Al Leiter 1 3 - Pedro Martinez 2 - 3 Mike Piazza 1 1 1 Jose Reyes 17 27 8 Mookie Wilson 1 - 1 David Wright 27 31 23 No favorite/Like whole team 20 10 28 Other 11 11 12 DK/NA 17 12 21 TREND: (If Mets fan) Who is your favorite Met? METS FANS............. Mar 25 Aug 31 May 28 2009 2007 2007 Carlos Beltran 4 6 7 Tom Glavine - 1 2 Gil Hodges - 1 1 Al Leiter 1 Pedro Martinez 2 4 2 Mike Piazza 1 2 3 Jose Reyes 17 27 18 Willie Randolph - 4 4 Mookie Wilson 1 - 2 David Wright 27 16 14 No favorite/Like whole team 20 15 19 Other 11 9 10 DK/NA 17 15 18 38. (If 'very' or 'somewhat' interested q34)If there was a subway World Series this season, who would you want to win it - the Yankees or the Mets? BASEBALL FANS (VERY or SMWHT Q34)..................... Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Yankees 55% 59% 51% 69% 52% 61% 46% 61% Mets 42 39 46 30 45 37 51 39 DK/NA 2 1 4 1 3 2 3 - TREND: (If 'very' or 'somewhat' interested in major league baseball) If there was a subway World Series this season, who would you want to win it - the Yankees or the Mets? BASEBALL FANS......... Mar 25 Aug 31 May 28 2009 2007 2007 Yankees 55 52 49 Mets 42 44 48 DK/NA 2 4 3 39. Do you plan on going to the new Yankee stadium to watch a Yankee home game this season, or not? ALL ADULTS............................................ Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Yes 30% 36% 25% 41% 25% 35% 24% 30% No 66 60 71 53 72 62 71 67 DK/NA 4 4 4 6 3 3 5 3 TREND: Do you plan on going to a Yankees home game this season, or not? (* to the new Yankee stadium to watch...) Mar 25 Apr 1 Apr 1 Mar 16 2009* 2005 2002 2000 Yes 30% 37 40 43 No 66 61 55 52 DK/NA 4 2 4 5 40. Do you plan on going to the new Mets stadium to watch a Met home game this season, or not? ALL ADULTS............................................ Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Yes 29% 32% 26% 24% 28% 27% 36% 21% No 67 64 70 71 70 70 59 77 DK/NA 4 3 4 5 2 4 5 2 TREND: Do you plan on going to a Met home game this season, or not? (* to the new Mets stadium to watch...) Mar 25 Apr 1 Apr 1 Mar 16 2009* 2005 2002 2000 Yes 29% 27 32 31 No 67 70 64 62 DK/NA 4 3 4 7 41. Critics of the new Yankee Stadium say the city is giving the Yankees taxpayer dollars to build the stadium. Supporters say the city is approving loans which must be repaid by the Yankees and not directly giving the Yankees any money. Who do you believe? ALL ADULTS............................................ Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Critics 49% 48% 50% 47% 56% 47% 46% 42% Supporters 28 30 25 30 22 27 31 34 DK/NA 23 21 25 23 22 26 23 24 TREND: Critics of the new Yankee Stadium say the city is giving the Yankees taxpayer dollars to build the stadium. Supporters say the city is approving loans which must be repaid by the Yankees and not directly giving the Yankees any money. Who do you believe? Mar 25 Jan 28 2009 2009 Critics 49 55 Supporters 28 27 DK/NA 23 18 42. Critics of the new Mets Stadium say the city is giving the Mets taxpayer dollars to build the stadium. Supporters say the city is approving loans which must be repaid by the Mets and not directly giving the Mets any money. Who do you believe? ALL ADULTS............................................ Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Critics 47% 46% 47% 44% 54% 47% 42% 35% Supporters 28 31 27 29 23 25 34 38 DK/NA 25 23 26 27 22 28 24 27 43. Which of the following would you say is your favorite team - the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Staten Island Yankees, the Brooklyn Cyclones? ALL ADULTS............................................ Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl NY Yankees 42% 48% 38% 56% 37% 51% 36% 31% NY Mets 28 28 28 22 27 22 38 29 StIs. Yankees 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 28 Brooklyn Cyclones 7 6 8 1 16 3 6 1 DK/NA 20 16 23 18 20 23 19 11 44. Would you like to go to a baseball game with Mayor Bloomberg? ALL ADULTS............................................ Tot Men Wom Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Yes 49% 54% 45% 42% 49% 57% 45% 58% No 46 41 49 52 45 38 50 40 Don't like baseball (VOL) 2 1 3 2 4 2 1 1 DK/NA 3 3 3 4 2 3 4 1 BASEBALL FANS........ Tot Mets Yankees Yes 60% 57% 61% No 38 39 37 Don't like baseball (VOL) - - - DK/NA 2 4 2