Baseball stars whiff in world of marketing

Before television, baseball players had the marketing arena to themselves, competing only against boxers and racehorses. But as sports have exploded in popularity since the 1950s, a number of competitors have taken baseball’s thunder away, leaving its players fighting for endorsements against those in sports — such as NASCAR — that were national jokes in Mickey Mantle’s heyday.

”Those who are older remember baseball players being successful pitchmen. Babe Ruth could sell everything under the sun,” said David Carter, executive director of the Sports Business Institute at the University of Southern California. “There are more alternatives now for corporations. They have options in golf and tennis that are compelling. Action sports are emerging.”

The makeup of baseball players themselves has changed radically in recent decades. An influx of players from Japan, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere has caused the numbers of U.S.-born players to shrink. Many players from foreign lands grab marketing opportunities in their home countries, while their appeal to U.S. firms is not as strong. Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki may end up in the Hall of Fame, but he will never be known for persuading the masses to buy Budweiser; he is more comfortable promoting Japanese brands.

And, obviously, the steroid scandal has frightened companies away. When a player such as Roger Clemens, he of Cy Young awards, World Series championships and $3.5 million in endorsement income, can be hauled in front of Congress and accused of being shot in the buttocks with illegal drugs, can any player be trusted? San Francisco’s Barry Bonds could barely find any corporate interest in his historic home run chase, when he broke Hank Aaron’s record last year.

”If I’m in corporate America and I’m thinking of bringing a product to market, do I rely on one athlete with all the steroid issues?” Carter said. “I sense there’s reluctance to throw money at these players before all this is settled.”

To be sure, baseball possesses marketable stars. Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard has enjoyed endorsements with Subway, Under Armour and others, and he’s only entering his fifth season in the majors. St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols pulls in a respectable $3.5 million annually, despite playing in a small market, and Sports Illustrated estimated that Boston’s Manny Ramirez earned $2.5 million in endorsements last year.

Still, there’s a problem that hasn’t been solved. When one thinks of the great commercials of all-time involving athletes — such as Mean Joe Greene and Coca-Cola, or Jordan and Larry Bird hoping to hit “nothing but net” — none star baseball players. When one looks at the top ten endorsers in U.S. sports today, none play baseball. Though the sport itself is excelling, generating $6 billion in revenue last year, its players are far from a hit off the field.

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