The Pirates have announced that they will utilize a three-tier variable pricing system to assign specific value-pricing for select games. Opening Day, all Saturday games beginning in May, and matchups against the Phillies and Red Sox will be designated as Gold games. Saturday games in April, and Friday games beginning in May will be designated as Black games. All remaining home games will be designated as White games, featuring the lowest-priced tickets. The team's single-game tickets will go on sale this Friday (Pirates).
SPEWING VENOM? D-Backs manager Kirk Gibson last week said of his team's contingent that traveled to Australia to promote the season-opening series against the Dodgers, "Look at the guys who went down (on a goodwill tour of) Australia for us. Why did they do it? It's who we are. ... I'll put our organization up against anybody's in terms of doing the right thing." Gibson noted D-Backs 1B Paul Goldschmidt and P Patrick Corbin traveled to Australia while the Dodgers sent C A.J. Ellis and said, "Who's the other team got down there? Are they too (expletive) good?" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 11/21). In L.A., Steve Dilbeck wrote the D-Backs "must really, really want a rivalry with the Dodgers." Dilbeck: "Gibson has nothing better to do this winter than to disparage the ability of Ellis?" (L.A. TIMES, 11/22).
LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD: The Royals yesterday announced updates to the club's road alternate uniform for the '14 season. Changes to the "royal blue" uniform include the classic "KC" logo being featured on the jersey and cap; white and powder blue trimming for the numbers and player names; and other design elements borrowed from the "batting practice" uniforms worn from the '80s through the early '00s. The Royals Majestic Team Store at Kauffman Stadium, operating under extended holiday hours, will offer the new jersey exclusively through Dec. 2 (Royals).
GLARING OMISSION: In N.Y., Tim Rohan notes the Mets yesterday "sent their holiday video e-card," featuring eight players, including LF Lucas Duda. Rohan asks, "With trade rumors involving both Duda and [1B] Ike Davis, why would the Mets include Duda in the video?" Even an "amateur detective would notice that Davis was not included in the video." But that "might not mean much." A team spokesperson said that the video was "shot late in the season." Davis' season had "ended prematurely because of a strained oblique" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/26).
