In Pittsburgh, Adam Bittner reported the Pirates had the "second-biggest gain of any team" in attendance through the first month of the '19 season. The average crowd of 14,967 for 13 April games was up 2,598 from '18, trailing only the Phillies for the best improvement over last year. The Pirates "have had their share of small crowds," with five games failing to attract more than 10,000 fans, and they still rank 27th overall in MLB. However, the upward trend "could be a good indicator of momentum heading into the meat of the schedule" (POST-GAZETTE.com, 5/2).
COME AGAIN SOON: In Phoenix, Kent Somers notes recent visits by the Red Sox, Cubs and Yankees to Chase Field have drawn "crowds that cheered for them as if they were back home," but the visiting fans were "good for business." The D-backs' eight games against those teams "drew crowds of 33,940 on average," while their other six home games (Rangers and Pirates) averaged just 20,482. That is why D-backs execs "weren't complaining" about the number of fans pulling for the opposition (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 5/3).
MANIA FLASHBACK: In L.A., Bill Plaschke writes the Dodgers should retire Fernando Valenzuela's No. 34 after news that the Mexican League plans to take the number out of circulation to honor the former MLBer. The Dodgers have "quietly refused to give out the jersey" since Valenzuela's last season with the team in '90, but team policy is to "retire only numbers of players or managers who have been inducted" into the the HOF (L.A. TIMES, 5/3).
