Yomiuri: Giants to announce more accurate attendance
Starting next season, the Yomiuri Giants will announce attendance figures that more accurately represent the number of people in the park, team president Tsunekazu Momoi said Saturday. In Japan it is customary for the home team to announce its estimated attendance figures in increments of thousands, but this sometimes gives the impression clubs are inflating the attendance numbers.
The Giants announced crowds of 55,000 for each of their 62 Central League games this season....however, with the exception of games against some of the more popular opposing teams, empty seats were often noticable in the upper deck and near the foul poles. "Having always had 55,000 people coming to the park, changing this system will require us to be more energetic," said Momoi. "It will be hard on us, but we must exceed our previous efforts."