FORGET SEINFELD'S COSTANZA, IT WAS MIKE COSTANZO WHO GOT HIS FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE HIT TODAY

What fun it had to be for onetime Atlantic League (Camden, NJ, 2010) infielder Mike Costanzo to get his first major league hit this afternoon (Saturday), and to do it at Yankee Stadium during a 6-5 victory for his Cincinnati Reds because he predicted ahead of the series he was likely to hear a great deal of razzing through the similarity of his name and that of Seinfeld television character George Costanza.

Costanzo benefitted from interleague play because it allowed him to get his first major league start as the designated hitter. The 28-year-old, primarily a third baseman and first baseman, went 1-for-3 with his second sacrifice fly since joining the Reds. He is now 1-for-7 at the plate with the other appearances in pinch-hitting roles.

Of the expectation of being called 'Lord of the Idiots' as the sitcom star sometimes was known, Costanzo told FoxSportsOhio.com in advance of a five-game invasion of New York City (Cincinnati played two games against the Mets before moving to Yankee Stadium) "I hear it all the time and I know I'll hear it a lot in New York".

It certainly helps that he now has a major league batting average, even if it is only .143.

DAZZLING ATTENDANCE

The American Association has gotten off to a terrific start at the gate, joining the Atlantic League in that fashion.

El Paso, TX and Kansas City, KS have both had a 7,000 gate in the first two days of play with the Diablos drawing 7,823 Friday night for a two-day total of 12,042. The T-Bones had 7,026 fans show up for their opener, which also started interleague play with the Can-Am League. Amarillo, TX drew 6,518 for its opener Friday, and Laredo, TX, debuted in the league and opened a new ballpark with crowds of 5,923 and 5,116 in successive games. The league drew 62,992 the first two nights, according to figures compiled by Pointstreak, the American Association's official statistical house.

Meanwhile, the Atlantic League has already drawn 356,262 fans, an average of 4,345 for 82 openings with the new Sugar Land (TX) Skeeters leading the way with an average of 6,921 for 10 home games.

AMERICAN WEST LEAGUE CHECKS IN

It was nice to pick up the phone Friday afternoon, and hear from Michael Cummings, the CEO of Godfather Media and the man behind the American West League which expects to start next season.

Godfather Media owns the Yuma, AZ franchise formerly in the North American League, and Cummings told us he hopes to have at least six teams committed by mid-summer for a 2013 startup. He also confirmed players will be paid, which is a pleasant departure from at least one other league playing as an Independent but without paying all of its players. We will have more of what Cummings had to say in next Thursday's subscriber-driven Independent Baseball Insider column.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER FOR 2012. Subscriptions to the Insider $48 from now through December, 2012.

REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER

Get the independent minor league baseball trivia question of the day by clicking this link: Independent Minor League Baseball Trivia Questions