Selig Says Ads Will Not Be On Unis; Foulke Dispute Settled

Selig Continues To Take Hard Stance Against Uniform Advertising

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig discussed the marketing of MLB with Brian Steinberg of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Selig, on what types of marketing efforts cross the line: "I can't in my commissionership envision any real advertising on the uniform. I just don't believe in that. I know we had them in Japan, and by the way, that's very normal in Japan. ... I would think that would be crossing the line." But Selig added, "We're going to be very aggressive. This is a sport in the midst of a stunning renaissance, and therefore it has to be marketed aggressively. The dinosaur days are gone." Asked if World Series games should start earlier so kids can watch them, Selig said, "We've made a concerted attempt to start them earlier, and I am sensitive to the younger generations. Having said that, it is hard to argue with any of the network people, who really have been very good. The people at Fox have been very understanding. The ratings get bigger and bigger as the night goes on, and so our daytime ratings are never what the nighttime ratings are" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/7).

FLAG FLAP: The AP's Ben Walker reported that after a letter from Selig, plus talks between the MLBPA and MLB, Red Sox P Keith Foulke stopped wearing his Red Sox cap that has a patch of the American flag. MLB said the cap violated the uniform code. Foulke, the only player in the league with his own such hat, said of his dispute in light of MLB's scrapped plans to put "Spider-Man 2" ads on the bases, "That really chapped me" (AP, 7/4). Foulke: "Under the new labor agreement, we're all supposed to look like robots, with no personality. They're trying to make it like the NFL, but this sport is different than the others. We're individuals" (BOSTON HERALD, 7/5).