Whatever Happened to Those Sellout Crowds?

It was reported in your paper last week that the Dodgers lost a game to the Giants before a “sellout crowd” of 40,777 fans.

What has happened to the seating capacity at Dodger Stadium? When the Dodgers were winning pennants and World Series, the stadium used to hold 50,000-plus crowds. Is that new “sellout” figure a PR ploy, or do they rip out a tier or two when the boys in blue lose a few?

PAUL ANDERSON

Los Angeles

The announced attendance at Dodger games reflects the paid turnstile count -- that is, paying customers in the house--and does not include no-shows , even though those seats were sold. There were 10,000 Boy Scouts on hand as guests of the Dodgers on the night in question. If all seats are sold and occupied, the Dodgers consider 56,000 a sellout.