Trends in ML Ballpark Capacity

 

The box scores in the Lois Angeles Times provide not only data on the paid attendance (actually the number of tickets sold) but also the listed capacity of the ballpark.  I have gathered 2009 capacity data for all 30 ML ballparks and compared the data with the capacity (usually for 2005) for the 30 ML ballparks listed in the 2006 edition of Green Cathedrals.  The data are shown below in two tables, one for the American League ballparks, and one for the National League ballparks.

A few comments are in order:

   (1) Two new ballparks (both in New York City) opened the 2009 season-the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field-the new Mets ballpark.  Someone has suggested that since Citi Bank has received federal bailout funds, the park should be called Taxpayer Field.

   (2) Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City was extensively remodeled

   (3) The Rogers Centre in Toronto (formerly called SkyDome), opened the 2009 season with a listed capacity of 49, 539.  Later this month the listed capacity was changed to 49,292-this information from SABR member Lloyd Davis.

   (4) The new Nationals ballpark in Washington D.C. opened in 2008, replacing the prior park-RFK Stadium.

   (5) Dodger Stadium in the last four years has added new sections of seating, yet the listed capacity has stayed the same (exactly 56,000).  The reason there was no change in capacity is that as new seats were added on the field level an equal number of seats in the far end of the fourth deck and/or the outfield pavilions were closed off.  This curious capacity balancing act is because the original Conditional Use Permit issued by the city of los Angeles calls for 56, 000 seats.

   (6) For a couple of ballparks, some of the upper deck seating sections, are not available for sale and are thus excluded from the listed capacity.  This is the case for Dolphins Stadium in Miami and I believe also for the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland.

 

American League

City                  Park                       2005 Capacity              2009 Capacity

ANA                Angel Stadium              45,037                         45,257

BAL                 Camden Yards             48,290                         48,290

BOS                Fenway Park                36,108                         37,373

CHI                 Comiskey Park (II)       40,615                         40,615

CLE                 Progressive Field          43,215                         45,199

DET                 Comerica Park             40,120                         41,255

KC                  Kauffman Stadium        40,785                         38,177

MIN                Metrodome                  46,564                         46,632

NY                  Yankee Stadium           57,478                         52,325

OAK               McAfee Coliseum         34,007                         35,067

SEA                 Safeco Field                 47,447                         47,878

TEX                 Ranger’s Ballpark         48,911                         49,170

TOR                Rogers Centre              50,598                         49,292

TPA                 Tropicana Field            41,315                         36,973

 

 

National League

City                  Park                       2005 Capacity              2009 Capacity

ARIZ               Chase Field                  49,033                         48,652

ATL                 Turner Field                  50,091                         49,743

CHI                 Wrigley Field                41,118                         41,210

CIN                 Great American            42,271                         42,319

COLO             Coors Field                  50,449                         50,449

FL                    Dolphins Stadium          36,331                         38,560

HOU                Minute Maid Park        40,976                         40,976

LA                   Dodger Stadium           56,000                         56,000

MIL                 Miller Park                   41,900                         41,900

NY                  Citi Field                      57,369                         41,800

PHL                 Citizens Bank Park       43,630                         43,647

PIT                  PNC Park                    38,496                         38,362

SAN                Petco Park                   42,445                         42,691

SF                    AT & T Park                41,606                         41,915

STL                 Busch Stadium              46,861                         43,975

WAS               National’s Park            45,250                         41,888

 

 

 

            A few additional aspects about the current ML ballparks are to be considered:

 

There are three new ballparks in the above two tables: National’s Ballpark (opened in 2008), Yankee Stadium, and Citi Field (both of which opened this month).  In addition Kauffman Stadium was substantially remodeled.  For all four of these ballparks the listed capacity was reduced-in the case of the Mets new park (Citi Field) has 15, 569 fewer seats than the prior park-Shea Stadium.  In KC, the reduction in the capacity of Kauffman Stadium was 2,608.

 

In the case of Busch Stadium the 2005 listed capacity is as of July 13, 2008 which was three months after the ballpark opened.  It is possible the 46,821 figure is incorrect.  It would be unusual for a new ballpark to reduce capacity by nearly 3,000 seats in its first three seasons.

 

The largest ballpark is now the third oldest ballpark-Dodger Stadium at 56,000.

 

There are now three ballparks with more than 50,000 seats; in addition to Dodger Stadium there is the new version of Yankee Stadium (52,325), and Coors Field in Denver (50,449).

 

Excluding the four new or remodeled parks, 14 of the remaining 26 parks had an increase in capacity with the largest increase being Dolphins Stadium in Miami 2,229).  Other ballparks with noticeable increases in capacity were Boston’s Fenway Park (1,265), Progressive Field in Cleveland (1,984), and Comerica Park in Detroit (1,135).  Six ballparks had no change in capacity.

 

The changes in capacity for the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland (+1,060), Dolphins Stadium in Miami (+2,229), and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg (-4,342) may be nothing more than changes in the number of sections of upper deck seating that ate not available for sale.