The Mariners' new TV ad campaign for this season
features players such as Kazuhiro Sasaki, John Olerud, Aaron
Sele and Arthur Rhodes, but "noticeably absent" is SS Alex
Rodriguez, who has been "one of the stars" in previous
campaigns, according to Angelo Bruscas of the SEATTLE POST-
INTELLIGENCER. The seven spots, created by the Copacino
agency in Seattle, were shot at the team's spring training
facility in AZ "and were put together before it was clear
whether Rodriguez would be traded." However, the Mariners
announced last week that they will not trade Rodriguez and
plan to feature him in new spots. The campaign focuses on
other aspects of the team and plays upon such themes as: the
"nuances" of outdoor baseball at Safeco Field, showing a
groundskeeper tasting the dirt at the ballpark to see if it
has enough clay and the antics of mascot Mariner Moose, who
"trashes" the room he shares with P Jamie Moyer on the road.
The campaign features the tag line "SoDo Mojo," with SoDo
standing for "South of the Dome," and Mojo representing a
hex or spell. Mariners Dir of Marketing Kevin Martinez:
"SoDo Mojo not only describes where the ballpark is located,
but it speaks to the magic of the game." All of the new
commercials are featured on the Mariners' Web site at
www.mariners.org, where fans can vote for their favorite one
(SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 3/16). In Seattle, Blaine
Newnham writes that Mariners fans "are not lining up" to buy
tickets, as 2,000 remain for the team's opener against the
Red Sox. Newnham: "The [Safeco Field] honeymoon lasted
barely half a season. ... The [Ken Griffey Jr.] fallout is
difficult to measure. There may also be some concerns about
the comfort factor in April" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/16).
PLAY AND THEY WILL PAY: In Miami, Dan Le Batard
profiles Rodriguez and writes that he "is on the brink ...
of getting the largest contract ever given to an athlete in
the history of sports." Rodriguez: "Baseball's owners
didn't get where they are by being bad businessmen, right?
You don't get rich by making dumb decisions, right? I know
athletes are so overpaid it's ridiculous, but if the owners
can keep giving out these mind-boggling contracts, how much
money must they be making?" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/16).
