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Report: Empty Seats To Cost Dodgers $27 Million

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — It seems like decades ago Jamie McCourt boldly predicted the Dodgers would sell 4 million tickets in a season and she was almost right  in 2007 when the team sold 3.85 million tickets , most in the National League.

Dodger Stadium was rocking -- just two season ago, the Dodgers outdrew everyone in baseball, including the New York Yankees in their inaugural ballpark, averaging over 46,000 per game.

So it comes as no surprise to see a  report in the the Los Angeles Times that  the team could lose at least $27 million this season from reduced ticket sales, concession and parking revenue for the 2011 season.

Average attendance at Dodgers games is down 17.7 percent to below 37,000, but that's the official number which is tickets sold -- the actual fans in seats is much lower.

While that is still a decrease from previous years, the big hurt  is when the fans don't use their tickets,  concessions and parking revenues take a major hit.

On the field, Los Angeles fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks, falling 10 games out of first place.

Expect attendance to continue its decline the rest of the season and if the ownership is still in place, you have to believe season ticket sales for 2012 will plummet.

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