Attendance at Harrisburg Senators (Class AA; Eastern League( games is up some 66 percent this season, as a new ownership group and improvements to Metro Bank Park have revitalized interest in the team.

Through 40 home dates this season the Senators have drawn 139,251 fans, which represents a 66.6 percent increase in attendance for the 2009 season over the previous year. The Harrisburg increase is the second largest attendance gain in all of Minor League Baseball for the season.

The Senators had their largest crowd ever, 7,165 fans on July 4th and this past weekend the Senators drew nearly 19,000 (18,717) fans for their four-game series against Reading. Over the past eleven home games, the Senators have averaged 4,156 fans per game.

"With the grand opening of the boardwalk and the new video system, we see lots of happy faces leaving the ballpark,” said Senators president Kevin Kulp. "We’re very pleased that in this economy our attendance is up from last season. I truly believe that the people of Central PA are looking for affordable entertainment and that we fit that niche."

"We promised in December a unique ballpark experience that Harrisburg would be proud of, and obviously our fans are responding positively," said Michael Reinsdorf, managing partner or Senators Partners LLC. "We’re only a third of the way through with the improvements and are anxiously awaiting the addition of suites, club seating and countless other fan-friendly amenities."

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