Baseball stars whiff in world of marketing

David Sweet • E-mail

Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter would seem to be a marketer’s dream team. Not only are they two of the best players of their generation, they are handsome and scandal-free in a sport wracked by steroid claims. Even more, they play for the best-known brand in baseball, the New York Yankees, and live in the biggest market in the United States. Their team often makes the playoffs and is watched frequently on the national stage.

Despite all those advantages, a teenage female golfer hauls in more endorsements each year than Rodriguez and Jeter combined — about $6 million more. According to Sports Illustrated, Michelle Wie earned about $19 million in endorsements in 2007, dwarfing Jeter’s estimated $7 million and Rodriquez’ $6 million. Yet Wie plays on the LPGA Tour, whose TV ratings are minuscule and whose national footprint barely registers compared to Major League Baseball’s.

It has been countless decades since baseball players stood out as pitchmen on the U.S. sports landscape. Back in the 1970s, New York Jets quarterback Joe Willie Namath became a marketing sensation, promoting everything from Brut to Beautymist pantyhose. Around the same time, Cincinnati catcher Johnny Bench and Oakland outfielder Reggie Jackson were slugging home runs and winning World Series, yet Madison Avenue barely noticed them.

Among athletes, Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan dominated commercials and product endorsements in the 1990s. This century, Tiger Woods is raking in about $100 million annually in endorsements, more than double that of his closest sports competitor.

Baseball players flip the typical salary/endorsement ratio on its head. While Miami standout Dwyane Wade’s $12 million or so in endorsements is roughly triple his annual salary — a margin that’s not unheard of among top NBA endorsers — A-Rod and Jeter’s salaries are three times the amount of their endorsement income. Both Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning and New England quarterback Tom Brady enjoy more endorsement income than salary.

According to the SportsBusiness Journal's list of most marketable athletes, not one baseball player is in the top 15. And only one retired player — Cal Ripken Jr. — makes the list for retired athletes.

What’s happened to players from the national pastime?

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