Baseball notebook: Pricey seats sit empty

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 proud New York Yankees, as the Legends Suite section in the infield has been filled only 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 close to full.

“We’re done talking about seats,” Yankees president Randy Levine said Wednesday. “We’re not talking about seats.”

Clubs lose value

One-third of Major League Baseball teams declined in value over the past year while the Yankees’ worth increased 15 percent to $1.5 billion, according to estimates by Forbes magazine.

The Washington Nationals took the biggest hit during the recession, down 12 percent to $406 million. The Atlanta Braves dropped 10 percent and the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners each were off 9 percent. The decline by 10 teams was the most since 2004.

Clearing the bases

Baltimore right-hander Alfredo Simon will undergo season-ending elbow ligament replacement surgery, a disappointing blow for both the pitcher and a team with a thin starting rotation. … The Texas Rangers have put right-hander Kris Benson on the 15-day disabled list with elbow tendinitis. … Umpire Kerwin Danley was out of a Toronto hospital a day after being hit in the head by a broken bat, and will be examined by Major League Baseball before he returns to the field. Danley left the field on a stretcher in the sixth inning Tuesday night after being struck by the barrel of Hank Blalock’s bat.