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http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2011/1/19/1941531/mlb-ballpark-seating-capacities-1920-2010

MLB Ballpark Seating Capacities 1920-2010

 by J-Doug on Jan 19, 2011 10:00 AM EST in Visuals Above Replacement

 

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(Click to embiggen for optimal cromulence)

Along the lines of my previous research into MLB and NFL stadium construction trends, here's an approach from a different angle. The capacity of the average ballpark over time tells us a quite a bit about the environs in which we play and celebrate the national pastime.

In the chart above, we see three discrete eras of ballpark construction:

• 1920-1945: As pro baseball grows in popularity, organizations and municipalities build larger facilities to house a burgeoning fan base.
• 1960-1980: With the rise of pro football and a decline in municipal finances, teams move into larger, multipurpose facilities.
• 1990-2010: The stadium boom that begins with Camden Yards signals a trend of customized ballparks with more reasonable seating capacities.

MLB park capacities reached their peak in 1993 at a high mean of 52,889. Average capacities would have peaked at an earlier date if it weren't for the expansion Colorado Rockies playing at cavernous Mile High Stadium in their inaugural season.

Raw data after the jump.

As in the last two posts, shared stadia are counted but once. In years when a team spent significant time in two parks, I used a weighted average of the capacities of both parks. This includes situations such as when theMariners moved from the Kingdome to Safeco mid-season, but not seasons such as when the Expos played a couple of games in San Juan for promotional purposes. Standing room capacity is not included.

Year	Mean Capacity		Year	Mean Capacity		Year	Mean Capacity
1920	25,865		1930	36,515		1940	41,195
1921	26,516		1931	36,515		1941	41,225
1922	26,516		1932	36,515		1942	41,094
1923	30,887		1933	36,515		1943	41,094
1924	30,887		1934	36,515		1944	41,094
1925	31,815		1935	36,515		1945	41,094
1926	33,244		1936	36,515		1946	41,094
1927	37,772		1937	38,809		1947	45,255
1928	36,823		1938	41,225		1948	44,793
1929	36,601		1939	41,195		1949	44,793
1950	44,793		1960	43,054		1970	46,532
1951	44,644		1961	41,584		1971	48,715
1952	44,642		1962	43,789		1972	48,996
1953	44,037		1963	43,789		1973	48,991
1954	44,837		1964	44,300		1974	48,418
1955	43,868		1965	44,915		1975	49,170
1956	43,868		1966	46,212		1976	49,324
1957	43,868		1967	46,372		1977	50,022
1958	41,711		1968	47,275		1978	50,222
1959	41,711		1969	44,984		1979	51,379
1980	51,282		1990	52,781		2000	48,503
1981	51,418		1991	52,440		2001	47,258
1982	51,900		1992	52,339		2002	47,258
1983	51,881		1993	52,889		2003	47,360
1984	52,164		1994	51,981		2004	45,867
1985	52,182		1995	51,055		2005	45,984
1986	52,235		1996	51,087		2006	46,009
1987	52,194		1997	50,214		2007	46,048
1988	52,233		1998	50,360		2008	45,970
1989	52,557		1999	50,157		2009	45,425
2010	44,841