The majority of games in New Orleans were sold out in 2031, prompting the team to expand New Frontier Park
Scott Plack, The Cajun Chronicles
February 7th, 2032
As 2032 arrives, New Frontier Park in New Orleans will be even louder than usual, as 4,000 seats are currently being added, as the upper deck on each side is extended further out. This is in response to fan pressure over the last 18 months, as Trendsetters baseball tickets have become a hot commodity and increasingly hard to obtain.
However, it wasn't always like that.
The Trendsetters that fans knew back then were a team that spent two decades in the Dixie division basement. Once the glory years of 2007-2010 were over, the team fell off the sports radar for many people in the city, as the team's record quickly plunged, culminating in a 110-loss season in 2012 where the team averaged just over 17,000 fans/game... only two short seasons since their last playoff appearance. For the rest of the 2010s, the Trendsetters branded themselves as the "Power" team, bringing in one home run hitter after another. Despite the increase in offense and a slight increase in attendance, the pitching still lagged behind and the team was never truly competitive.
However, after a new vision by new management, things began to change in 2026 as the new James Heard/Jose Martinez/John Turner Trendsetters began a new, more balanced philosophy that addressed the lackluster pitching. The rejuvenated team broke new ground, reaching the .500 plateau for the first time in 16 seasons. Admittedly (and somewhat incredibly), despite the record, the team still finished bog last in the punishing I.L. Dixie division, and was even 13 games out of a Wild Card spot. Still, it didn't matter in Trendy Town, as fans flocked to watch their 'not-so-terrible' Trendsetters achieve long-awaited averageness. That year, the team welcomed 3 million fans for the first time since they had last made the playoffs in 2010.
Fans in line for tickets at the main stadium entrance
For the rest of the 2020s, it was apparent that the team, now managed by popular manager Kevin Wood, was at least going to be respectable or maybe even better ... even if fans pessimistically felt that playoff baseball would still be a pipe dream. However, by now, the team now averaged 37,000 per game, then over 40,000, and gradually edged closer to the stadium’s capacity of 46,000, thanks to a sustained rise in performance.
Last year, demand for tickets at New Frontier Park reached an all-time high with most games were now sold out. As the season went along, the team looked to be one of the favorites to qualify for the PEBA Post-Season. During the summer, 'Trendsetter Mania' swept Louisiana, as the team went toe-to-toe with long-time Dixie nemesis Florida for the second Wild Card spot. Fans weren't going to miss this! Waiting in line for tickets, there was certainly a buzz in the air. "I've been waiting my whole adult life for this, man!" said life-long fan Jake Klein, "We've been the punching bag for so long, it's nice to be doing the punching, for once!", he added.
However, not everyone would be able to join in on the excitement, as the team's modest 46,000-seat capacity meant that, at this point, many fans had to be turned away. To remedy this, a "Fan Zone" was added outside the park, which proved to be relatively popular in late-season, but pressure began to mount from the fanbase to expand the park in some way. As the team continued their playoff push into September, the talk about stadium capacity became almost as loud as the play on the field.
"The money is out there!" said Brenda Wall, a fan forced to return home when she couldn't get a ticket, "It's so frustrating. There are thousands of us out here that wanted to watch the game against San Juan that didn't get in. It's crazy. Never seen turned away before. If only they added some seats, it's practically a license to print money!", she added.
Despite a monumental 91-71 record, both the Trendies and their rivals in Florida fell just shy of the post-season. However, word from the fans reached New Orleans' offices, and the fans got what they want for 2032. In a press release, the team's Director of Operations, Bill Saxby, confirmed that New Frontier Park would now enter 'Phase 2' of it's initial design. "Over 25 years ago, when the park was initially conceived, it had three phases built into it.", he said. "The park has always operated in 'Phase 1' , but we now feel that entering 'Phase 2' of it's design is appropriate, which adds 2,000 seats on either side of the current structure. That will bring our capacity up to 50,000 for next season. There is a further 'Phase 3' option that can be added at a later date, but this new addition will be very exciting.", he added.
As the 2032 season rolls around, baseball fever in Louisiana is as strong as ever, and with a new, now larger park to play on, we will see if this can help the Trendies make the post-season. 22 years is a long time to wait, but, if the team ever wanted fan support to get it done, now is the time!