MLB Franchise Notes: Reds-Pirates Game Only Draws 3,000 Fans

In Pittsburgh, Dejan Kovacevic reports the Pirates for Thursday's game against the Reds "closed the upper deck to fans, a first in PNC Park's history, because of the tiny crowd" for the contest, coinciding with the opening of the G-20 summit in the city. There were 15,892 tickets sold for the game, but team officials said that the "actual turnstile count was slightly more than 3,000." Pirates management earlier this week predicted "this would be the case" and decided to pass out certificates to fans with upper-deck tickets that read: "Please enjoy a seat upgrade, courtesy of the Pirates." Fans "could sit in their choice of six sections close to the field." The club level, which covers the first 10 rows of the ballpark's upper deck, "remained open, though there were not as many as 200 there" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/25).

THE TRIBE HAS SPOKEN: In Cleveland, John Horton notes fans' interest in Indians games has been "low all season, with attendance numbers crumbling with playoff hopes." Indians officials "expect ticket sales to hit a shade over 1.73 million, the second-lowest total since" Progressive Field opened in '94. Announced attendance for the Indians game against the Tigers on Wednesday was 13,971, a "rather optimistic figure given the vacant seats." During the first inning, "roughly 50 people" sat in the outfield bleachers. The ballpark that "once sold out 455 consecutive games looked as empty as old Municipal Stadium on a chilly, late-season night" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 9/25).

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COURT DATES: In Chicago, Oneal & Sachdev report Tribune Co.'s deal to transfer control of the Cubs to the Ricketts family "cleared the first of two bankruptcy court hurdles Thursday." U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey "approved the company's involvement" in the transaction valued at $845M. The Cubs next will "make a Chapter 11 filing, with approval expected the next day." A Tribune Co. lawyer said that the company has "set Oct. 12 for the Cubs filing, with an approval hearing Oct. 13." Tribune Co. by then "hopes to have cleared the only other hurdle to the deal: approval" by MLB owners (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/25).

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