NEW YORK — Major League Baseball's average attendance was 30,298 for its first 183 games over the opening two weeks of the season, a 6.9 percent drop from last year's final figure of 32,539.

The average declined from 31,111 in the opening week. The average usually drops during the second week of the season, as the significance of opening-day sellouts in the average lessens.

Attendance is usually weakest in April and September, when cold weather causes a drop for some teams in the Northeast and Midwest.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said last week he was pleased with opening-week attendance.