Pricey Yankee Stadium seats strike out thus far

Thursday, April 23, 2009
Pricey Yankee Stadium seats strike out thus far
Detroit News wire services

At the new Yankee Stadium, the best seats in the house have turned out to be the emptiest.

The most expensive spots in America's costliest ballpark have become an embarrassment packing a financial sting to the New York Yankees, as the Legends Suite section in the infield has been filled once in the six games since the $1.5 billion stadium opened last week.

On most days, the seats that cost $500-$2,500 as part of season tickets and go up to $2,625 for individual games haven't been full. And as TV cameras pick up the patchy attendance with every pitch, it serves as a little tweak to the nation's richest baseball franchise.

"We're done talking about seats," Yankees president Randy Levine said Wednesday. "We're not talking about seats."

A count by The Associated Press totaled 1,895 seats in the Legends Suite, of which 146 were in the front row from dugout to dugout, costing $2,500 as season tickets and $2,625 individually.

Red Sox top Twins

in rain-shortened opener

The Boston Red Sox needed another long outing from Tim Wakefield , and the 42-year-old knuckleballer came through for the second start in a row.

Wakefield pitched a five-hitter for his second consecutive complete game and Boston's sixth straight victory -- this one a seven-inning, 10-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins as rain shortened the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

"Kind of fell into that one by accident," Wakefield said. "I'll take it."

Wakefield (2-1) struck out four and walked one for his 32nd career complete game. He became the oldest pitcher in Red Sox history to pitch a complete game -- breaking the record he set in his previous start, when he rescued a beleaguered bullpen by taking a no-hitter into the eighth against Oakland.

Yankees monitoring

homers in new park

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the team will monitor the number of home runs hit in its new stadium, but cautioned it's too soon to make a judgment and suggested it was part of a wider phenomenon.

There have been 26 home runs at the stadium, one more than the previous record for the first six games at a major league venue. That had been established at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium in 1955, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Clemens shows up

at Astros game

Roger Clemens was back at Minute Maid Park -- as a fan. Clemens sat about 10 rows up behind home plate with some of his children as the Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5

"It's not my first time," he said of attending the game. "We've been here a number of times."

The embattled seven-time Cy Young winner is being investigated by a grand jury to determine whether he he lied to a congressional committee about alleged steroid use.

Injury report

Umpire Kerwin Danley was out of a Toronto hospital a day after being hit in the head by a broken bat. Danley, 47, will be examined by Major League Baseball before he returns to the field.

... The Texas Rangers put RHP Kris Benson (elbow tendinitis) on the 15-day disabled list.

Detroit News wire services