Getting His Phil: Rollins Reaps Marketing Benefits Of MVP

Rollins Lands Several New Endorsement Deals Following MVP Season

Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins, the '07 NL MVP, this offseason has signed endorsement deals with Yahoo, Philadelphia-area Ford dealers and Anything For Sale By Owner, a "start-up rival of eBay" based in Philadelphia, according to Paul Vigna of the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. Each company went through a process that Dan Lozano, Rollins' agent, said was put in place "to try and understand who these companies are and who we want to be involved with." Lozano noted he and Rollins turned down "five or six that just weren't the ideal situation." Phillies Dir of Merchandising Scott Brandreth said Rollins' apparel sales ranked fifth among Phillies players last season, but he "passed everyone else" except 2B Chase Utley after being named MVP. Modell's Sporting Goods Regional Marketing Manager Derrick Morgan said the chain's Rollins MVP T-shirt "sold phenomenal around the holidays. ... The MVP award definitely spiked his popularity with Phillies fans" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/14).

OTHER PHILLIES SELLING: Brandreth said that Utley's T-shirt and jersey sales in '07 outsold those of former 1B Jim Thome in '04, when the Phillies played their first season in Citizens Bank Park. In Philadelphia, Marcus Hayes reports sales of Utley and 1B Ryan Howard merchandise combined "smoked the sales of Thome and ... [P] Billy Wagner's sales total of 2004" by 50%. Meanwhile, Phillies VP/Sales John Weber said that season-ticket sales are "near 19,500 now and expects them to tease 20,000," which would be an increase of almost 2,500 over last season and the "fourth-best mark in club history." Also, group sales are up 20% from '07 (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/14).