In newspaper box scores, two attendance figures are shown: a first one, and a second one in parentheses. For example, in that preposterous 32-run game at Fenway Park yesterday, the very end of the box score read A: 36,027 (37,221).
Does that mean only the first figure represents paid admissions?
I thought it meant the first was butts in the seats, the 2nd (in parentheses) was tickets sold. But googling the figures you gave, I saw the attendance for the Royals game, which has the larger number first - so I’m not sure anymore.
That KC game had 251 more bodies in the stadium than seats.
It was also the induction of Mike Sweeney into the Royals Hall of Fame - so that may be an aberration.
Maxed out attendance will usually differ from “seats” because luxury/corporate boxes can hold paid admissions but aren’t seats.
Toronto reportedly sold out every game this weekend, and yet the reported sold attendance was different for every game. Obviously they aren’t changing the seating configuration for every game; it’s the number of people in boxes that makes it vary. In fact, I can’t say for sure what the hell Rogers Centre’s official capacity is.
I don’t know whether this has anything to do with it, but the old Yankee Stadium had an original seating capacity of 69,000, yet the record attendance for a game there was 81,841 in 1938–a doubleheader with the Red Sox.
In olden times they would let fans stand in the outfield, behind ropes, if all of the seats filled up.
Not in 1938 though. If that number was accurate, they had 12,000 some people standing in the aisles, that doesn’t seem completely outlandish.
Is the first figure paid attendance (bought tickets and maybe also showed up) and the second capacity (available seats + SRO tickets)?
No, I checked that as well - it fluctuates.
Yankee Stadium held just shy of 72,000 butts at the time.