Attendance drops for 2nd year in row

Rich Aurilia noticed all the empty seats as he made his way around the major leagues during the second half of this season.

"You have to," the San Francisco Giants infielder said. "I think you do in the places where the teams are totally out of it."

Attendance has dropped 6.9 percent across the majors to its lowest level since 2003, an average of 30,276. That follows a 0.8 percent slide last year from the record average of 32,785 set in 2007.

Given the recession and the decrease in capacity in two new ballparks that opened in New York this year, baseball officials are pleased.

"Obviously, I've stated how well we've done," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "I'll have plenty to say after I've seen the final numbers."

With hardly any pennant races, the attendance slide has been more pronounced during the second half.

Twenty-two of the 30 teams have seen decreases, and three of the teams with increases are up less than 1 percent. Nearly 30 percent of the overall drop came in New York, where the Yankees cut capacity by about 7,000 and the Mets by approximately 16,000.

On the plus side, Texas is up 14 percent, and Kansas City (its first season at renovated Kauffman Stadium) and Florida jumped 12 percent each. Philadelphia jumped 5 percent following its World Series title, and Tampa Bay increased 3 percent after its AL pennant.

BRAVES: Braves outfielder Ryan Church is with his wife, Tina, in Viera as the couple await the birth of their second child.

Church left Atlanta on Friday morning.

With Church away from the team, Omar Infante was the fill-in starter in right field Friday night against the Washington Nationals. Matt Diaz was scratched with a jammed right thumb.

ORIOLES: Dave Trembley's job as manager isn't complete: He will get the opportunity to see the team's arduous rebuilding process through to its next stage.

Trembley will return to manage the Orioles next year after the club announced Friday that it will exercise the 2010 option on his contract. The decision came a day after the Orioles (61-98) broke a 13-game losing streak, third-longest in Baltimore history.

REDS: Pitching coach Dick Pole was fired. Pole was finishing his third season with the team, which began Friday seventh in the NL with a 4.52 ERA.