In the mid-1990s, Greenberg said, teams could count on new stadiums to help them boost ticket sales for several years, but that trend has ended.

“Stadium fatigue sets in much faster than it did before,” Greenberg said, noting that new stadiums built in Baltimore and Cleveland in the early 1990s led to long periods of increased attendance for both franchises. “When Camden Yards and Jacobs Field were built, they were a big deal and were a complete change. The novelty has worn off.”

The Minnesota Twins are the latest to benefit from the novelty. The Twins lead the league in increased attendance, with an average of 14,129 more fans attending games at the new Target Field than last season at the Metrodome, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

The Mets tried to prevent a drop-off by cutting ticket prices as much as 20 percent after last season, but signs of trouble quickly became apparent. When the team submitted its monthly report to the commissioner’s office in March, ticket sales dropped 40 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Dave Howard, the Mets’ executive vice president for business operations, blamed the early-season decline on bad weather in April, the team’s disappointing play in recent years and the economic downturn. (The weather in April was warmer and drier than normal in the New York area.)

“We are confident as we continue to play better, the weather gets warmer and school ends that we will draw more fans and end the year fine,” he said.

Image Gloomy weather has contributed to the Mets' falling attendance figures this season. Credit... Al Bello/Getty Images

It didn’t help that the Mets started the season by losing 8 of their first 12 games before putting together a winning streak at the end of April. The team is 14-8 at home and 18-17 over all.