Franchise Notes

Hospital Offering Celtics Season- Tix Holders Concierge Service

In Boston, Jay Fitzgerald reports the Celtics and New England Baptist Hospital are "offering season-ticket holders a special 'concierge' service" at the hospital. The Celtics this month sent letters to their "Courtside Club" ticket holders, "notifying them that New England Baptist can handle their medical inquiries with a little extra care if they call a special phone number." Team officials have "stopped short of describing the program as 'VIP' service at the hospital," but Celtics President Rich Gotham said that the team is "looking to provide 'added value' for its season-ticket holders." The plan is to "slowly roll out the program this fall, starting with the courtside-ticket fans and, hopefully, extending to all 5,000 season-ticket holders by the end of the year" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/10).

FORGIVE & FORGET: In Pittsburgh, Bob Smizik notes the Pirates this weekend sold "almost 88,000 tickets for three games" against the Cardinals, and while "none of the ticket sales were all that surprising" by themselves, "combined the attendance figures were a bit amazing." The crowd of about 38,000 at PNC Park for Saturday's game, which included a fireworks show and an O.A.R concert, "figured to detract from the Friday and Sunday crowds," but that "didn't happen." Smizik notes there was an "air of excitement that large crowds at sporting events can produce even in a regular-season game involving a team as lowly as the Pirates" (POST-GAZETTE.com, 8/10).

CLEVELAND ROCKED: In Cleveland, Terry Pluto cited sources as projecting a "loss of another $10[M] or more next season" for the Indians, after team President Paul Dolan last week estimated the club would lose $16M this year. The Indians have "not set a payroll figure for next season, but with their attendance ranking 27th in baseball, it's a safe bet it will be less" than the $81M at the start of this season, "even if ownership is willing to absorb some financial losses in 2010." The Indians during this season cut at least $12M off payroll in "what was left on contracts" to several traded players, so "no matter how the Indians explain it, money powered many of the deals" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/9).

READY TO TAKE OFFICE? In Boston, Nick Cafardo reported there is "lots of chatter" among MLB officials that D'Backs VP/Player Personnel Jerry Dipoto is the "leading candidate" for the Nationals' GM vacancy. But Red Sox Assistant GM Jed Hoyer also is "being mentioned," though the Nationals also are "considering keeping" interim GM Mike Rizzo (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/9).