That represented a 13.1 percent plunge from 1989 despite a 1.3 percent increase in sales.

Then in 1991, the interest fell to $64,600, a drop of 22.8 percent followed by this year's 39 percent plunge.

Only the 74.9 percent plunge in the Hoover Administration was worse.

The next season, though, when batters hit only 3,180 home runs, a remarkable 29 percent plunge, no one talked about a dead ball.

The decline was the steepest since a 1.3 percent plunge in March 1986.

And these figures, they said, were calculated before the 60 percent plunge expected this year.

The 3.3 percent rise followed an 11.1 percent plunge in August.

That was a big drop for a normal day but almost stabilizing after the 8.1 percent plunge on Wednesday.

Last year's 3.1 percent decline was the largest since a 7.9 percent plunge in 1982.

It was the largest one-month decline since a 1.4 percent plunge last August.