Y Not I

Memorable commercials are usually funny, but can be memorable for other reasons (a song that gets in your head, etc.). Many of the best baseball themed advertisements use humor as the primary remembrance tool and these are some of the best that I could find after searching both my memory and the web.While there are some very good ones that I left off the list because I could not find a video of the ad, such as the Miller Lite ads with Bob Uecker (”I must be in the front row”). I first submitted this list to the site List Universe, but for some reason it has not yet appeared so I wanted to just put it out here before the videos disappear.

The best ads seem to feature actual baseball players and it seems like the players must enjoy doing a humorous ad and I think that comes across and gives a sense of a good time that the teams hope to convey with a visit to the ballpark.

It does seem like the smaller market teams end up with the better commercials. Not sure why, maybe the players are willing to be more adventurous, maybe the teams feel the bigger need to market more heavily.

Anyway onto the ads!

20 - Stylin’ For Retro Night

Trevor Hoffman, Brian Giles and Greg Maddux get ready for Retro night. Maddog is a veteran at baseball ads as we will see further down the list. For a craftsman pitcher he seems to also have a sort of comic timing that works well in what he has been asked to do in ads such as this.

Retro Night

19 - Candles

No players, but funny. Personally I like scented candles.

18 - Sungalsses

Mark Kotsay looks like he had some fun in his years with the A’s. The Athletics certainly have a number of humorous and well done spots. This one takes seeing all the way to the end before it become memorable. Still gives me a chuckle even after numerous viewings.

Sunglasses

17 - Joe Mauer-Mean Joe Sideburns

Takeoff of the famous Mean Joe Geene Coke ad from the 70’s however this Joe is not giving up his uniform shirt, but something much more personal.

16 - Man Down

George Steinbrenner gets in the act as part of a Yankees-Adidas ads that I believe ran during the 1998 season. A part of the Boss that we most likely would have rather not seen.

15 - Kollectors

Seattle Mariner pitcher Felix Hernandez makes fans get creative in finding K’s for the strikeouts he amasses. ing ong indeed.

14 - Avis, New York-Boston rivalry

Interesting commercial that is probably hard to understand outside of New York and Boston, however the stereotypical dialect and accents give this a nice subtle touch.

13 - Lipton Ice Tea-Brisk

Claymation ad featuring famous Yankees Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin (Martin of course getting fired by the Boss). Funny and just visually interesting the way it was done. Like any great baseball ad, the humor requires a knowledge of baseball, and this one delivers from Phil Rizzuto announcing to the the Boss’ turtleneck.

12 - Carpool

The Minnesota Twins have some very funny ads. I thought this was one of the best, again because of the knowledge of baseball required. Knowing the differences in how Johan Santana and Joe Nathan pitch bring out the humor in this spot.

11 - Sixth Sense

Mark Kotsay again with the Athletics showing how his sense of timing helps him more than just play centerfield.

10 - Pitching is the New Hitting

This one is a call back to a classic ad that we will find a bit further up the list. Mad Dog Maddux is back, motivating the Padre “sluggers” to try their hand at pitching. With Jim Edmonds since being released, neither him nor Adrian Gonzalez bring up memories of a true slugger today (at least not of the level of McGwire), but funny nevertheless.

Pitching is the New Hitting

9 - James Otto-Braves Play Here

Here is one that just spins a good tune, some nice interspersed highlights and the players having fun. Peachtree TV is the local station that just to be TBS and show some of the Braves local games. In actuality the Braves play on SportsSouth much more often than Peachtree TV, but I see this commercial almost daily while watching my Seinfeld reruns, so it has earned a place in my memory.

8 - Beware of Things Made in October

Funny ad for Fox and the MLB baseball playoffs. There were a couple of other ones in a similar vein, however the fire shooting from the leaf blower made this my fav of the 3.

7 - Randy Johnson Dodgeball

Dodgeball can be cruel enough without the ball coming from Randy Johnson in his prime. Humor and violent humor a classic combo.

Dodgeball

6 - Red Sox Mastercard

Not really a commercial, but too funny not to include. Especially like the guy who feels giving up his son is a fair deal (”Go Sox!”)

5 - Yogi Berra AFLAC

Already a classic, and once again funny because knowing the game and the history is the only way to truly understand the humor. Yogi, of course was famous for his malapropism.

4 - Working the Zone

Ichiro in another funny Mariners ad. This version is from Japanese television with some extra portions showing how Ichiro making these throws was actually not far off from the target.

3 - Rolling Rock Baseball “Cup”

Hard not to laugh out loud for this. Certainly rude and full of not so subtle symbolism (see the placement of the baseballs and the overflowing beer bottle at the end. Of course the players would have been wearing cups as well, but that is besides the point. The point is to laugh and remember.

2 - Aquafina - Lou Pinella

Great take on the usually hot tempered Lou Pinella. Once again knowledge of Pinella and his temper tantrums helps to bring out the humor of this spot.

1 - Chicks Dig the Long Ball

All time classic with the remarks from Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine to having Heather Locklear in the ad. And of course with McGwire gone and Glavine and Maddux both still pitching and Hall of Fame shoo-ins, nobody has seen Mark in awhile.

B’H