The Pirates drew an announced total of 111,852 fans for a four-game series against the Rockies that ended Sunday, the first games at PNC Park this season. The Pirates drew 94,195 fans for the first four home games in '10, 17,657 fewer than this year. After drawing 39,219 fans for the home opener on Thursday, the series "maintained its pop the rest of the way, drawing 29,192, 25,398 and 18,043 to close it out." This week "will present a test," as the Pirates host the Brewers for a three-game series beginning today while the Penguins begin their NHL postseason at nearby Consol Energy Center tomorrow (AP, 4/11).
CITI ON DOWN: On Long Island, Neil Best reports the Mets yesterday "sent e-mails to some of the fans who purchased individual game tickets last April, offering 50 percent off a select number of seats to weekday games this April" at Citi Field. Mets Exec VP/Business Operations Dave Howard said the limited offer is designed to "reward customers from last year and encourage them to come back to the ballpark and see the 2011 Mets." Best notes, "Weekday games in April, when the weather is cool and schools are in session, often are a difficult sell, and the Mets were expecting modest crowds for this week's four-game series against the Rockies" (NEWSDAY, 4/12).
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END? In Minneapolis, Joe Christensen noted the Twins have recorded 81 consecutive sellouts at Target Field, but they announced yesterday that "several tickets are available for this week's series" against the Royals and other home games throughout April. Twins Senior Dir of Ticket Operations Paul Froehle in a statement said, "There’s a common misperception that Twins tickets are sold out for the 2011 season, but the truth is we do have good seats remaining for many games" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 4/11).
FREEZE TAG: YAHOO SPORTS' Kevin Kaduk noted children who attended the "Military Opening Day" at Petco Park on Sunday "were given a free poster featuring members" of the Padres, but if the team had "followed through on its original plan, those kids would have received a set of Padres-branded dog tags instead." The team "nixed its original dog-tag giveaway idea when it garnered some opposition on the Internet." Kap Fulton, who started an online petition that has received 146 virtual signatures, said that he "wants the Padres to stop associating baseball and war." The petition asks the team to "end all promotions targeting children" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/11).
