Speaking to the Baseball Writers Association of America before Tuesday’s All-Star Game, a 4-3 win for the American League, Clark acknowledged that baseball now markets its stars better than it once did. At the same time, he said baseball still lags behind sports like basketball, which has marketed its stars successfully since the 1980s.
Granted, players like Michael Jordan and Lionel Messi impact their sports more than any baseball player could. After all, there’s no guarantee that Mookie Betts will bat with the game on the line.“The talent level of our players is off the charts,” he said. “I’m not wishing this on anybody , but I’d really like our players have the ability to not be able to walk down the street without being recognized. I think it’s not just beneficial to the player, but it’s beneficial to the industry.
Earlier this month, NBA fans went to new levels while following Kawhi Leonard’s free agency, staking out his hotel and tracking the path of his SUV via live TV broadcast. Like so many others, Trout himself followed along, calling Leonard the celebrity he’d most want to meet. From afar, Clark wondered if baseball might benefit from a little more of that hype.
bnicholsonsmith I compare the HR Derby to the NBA 3PT contest. The 3PT contest has several participants that are not the the All Star game so I don’t see why the HR Derby should be any diefferent. The HR Derby should be a way to promote some other players who didn’t make the All Star game.