AL Franchise Notes: Rangers Lay Off Several Front-Office Members

In Ft. Worth, Andrea Ahles reports the Rangers yesterday "cut several staff members from their front office." Rangers Exec VP/Communications John Blake said that the job reductions were less than 10% of the team's staff and "affected employees were offered a severance package." Ahles notes Rangers Owner Tom Hicks earlier this year announced that he is "looking for someone to buy a majority interest in the ballclub, partly because of financial problems Hicks is facing," and Blake said that the possible sale was a "contributing factor but there are 'other reasons' that led" to the cuts (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/16).

ALL QUIET IN N.Y.: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir noted no Yankees exec, not "scions" co-Chairs Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, nor President Randy Levine, is "following the impetuous example of the silent patriarch, George Steinbrenner, by issuing win-or-else edicts." Yankees spokesperson Howard Rubenstein: "Hal is running the Yankees. And I'm not saying another word." Red Sox Owner John Henry said via e-mail Hal is "just very quiet -- as I used to be." But Henry added, "That won't last forever. He's only been active for a relatively short time." Sandomir noted some Yankees fans, "maybe many of them, want Hal to explode like Daddy," and "for a brief time, Hank looked like he could be a serial exploder, but he's grown ever quieter." Sandomir wrote, "I miss George's eruptions when the Yankees are in a crisis. I miss the headlines, the chatter, the managerial firings, the commercials" with late Yankees manager Billy Martin (N.Y. TIMES, 6/13).

OFF TO A ROUGH START: In a front-page piece for CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, Joel Hammond notes the Indians before this season unveiled an "innovative value-based, four-tiered ticket pricing system," which "drastically reduced ticket prices for less desirable games." The team also "greatly ratcheted up their promotion efforts in anticipation of a tough summer because of the lousy economy," as they "introduced all-you-can-eat seats and kept their existing dollar-dog nights, family nights and other promotions." Yet through last Wednesday the Indians ranked 25th in MLB in attendance, averaging 22,010 fans through 28 home games at 43,345-seat Progressive Field, down 11% from 24,772 fans through 28 home games last season. The Indians are currently 29-37 and in last place in the AL Central, and Indians Exec VP/Business Dennis Lehman said that the team's "poor start has hurt" (CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, 6/15 issue).