I had a friend who insisted that Bobby Thompson's fabled home run in the 1951 National League playoffs was sparsely attended. He cited as evidence the day's gate - 34,000 - and the stadium's official capacity - 55,000.
The truth: The Polo Grounds 'natural' capacity, 34,000, was extended to 55,000 when the horseshoe aspect was fully enclosed in 1923. Those extra seats, however, were in centerfield, 475 feet from home plate, and were rarely put up for sale for baseball.
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