Both baseball fans and corporate America are "reacting"
to Cubs P Kerry Wood, according to Andy Friedlander of the
FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. Wood's agent Joe Sambito, of
Hendricks Management, said that Wood has fielded two dozen
or more endorsement offers "but has not accepted any of
them." Sambito: "[M]aybe he'll do some of it later, when he
feels more comfortable with it." Mike Wisniewski,
Merchandising Dir for Odgen Entertainment, which handles the
Cubs' merchandise, said manufacturers wanted to start
producing Wood merchandise, but he hit "so quick they
weren't ready. Companies call me and ask, 'Do you have a
picture of this guy? We don't know what he looks like.'
They call and ask me what his number is. ... The demand is
there." TX-based Pinnacle will release 5,000 special Wood
trading cards in August (STAR-TELEGRAM, 5/15). In Chicago,
George Lazarus writes that Kellogg's should sign Wood to
endorse Special K cereal. Lazarus: "Kellogg would have a
youngster with a clean-cut image ... helping rebuild a brand
whose sales have been on a recent slide." Cubs VP/Marketing
& Broadcasting John McDonough said that this year may be a
"transition year" for Wood "in terms of discussing any
endorsement opportunities" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/15).
