Krysta March, of St. Louis, left, waits to get an autograph from Iowa Cubs manager Ryne Sandberg before a game with New Orleans July 9 in Des Moines, Iowa. Minor league baseball attendance is on the rise, as better weather and the economy are bringing fans back to the ballparks.

DES MOINES, Iowa — On a hot and sunny Friday afternoon, Todd Wanninger strolled into Principal Park while his kids excitedly burst through the gates.

Wanninger lives about 100 miles away in Carroll, Iowa, and isn't exactly a die-hard fan of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. But he priced out a trip to the ballpark on the banks of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers and was quickly convinced the trek was worth it.

"I was kind of shocked when we went online and bought the tickets," Wanninger said. "It's cheap entertainment."

Wanninger hasn't been alone in seeing a good deal: Minor League Baseball officials said that just under 21.5 million fans attended games through the end of June, an increase of 934,704 through the season's first three months from 2009.

Officials credit better weather this season and lingering concerns about spending too much in a still-struggling economy. According to a Minor League Baseball survey, it costs an average of $57.70 to take a family of four to one of its ballparks; the average cost for a major league game is $194.98, according to a report released in April by sports marketing publication Team Marketing Report.

"You're not going to go to the beach and spend a week because of family finances. But maybe you'll see a few more games," Minor League Baseball president Pat O'Conner said.

The minor leagues set records for overall attendance for five straight seasons last decade, topping out at just over 43.2 millions fans in 2008. Those numbers slumped to 41.6 million last year, but the early signs point to a comeback this season.

For many clubs, the increase in ticket sales in 2010 has as much to do with the weather as the economy. A relatively pleasant spring and early summer, particularly in the Northeast, have helped spur ticket sales for an industry that's always tied to the whims of Mother Nature.

"It would be disingenuous to suggest that the weather hasn't impacted us. Last year was a very wet, cold June," Eastern League president Joe McEacharn said.

O'Conner estimates that by the end of the season, minor league clubs will draw roughly 1.5 million more fans than they did in 2009.

"I'm not sure anyone's sure we're at the bottom of this economy thing, (but) people are settling in and want some normalcy in their life," O'Conner said. "In many of the communities we occupy, normalcy in their life involves going to ballgames. People are starting to come back."