Arms for sale

Commissioner Bud Selig confirms 27 years ago today that his office is considering placing advertisements on jerseys during games.

Specifically, Selig says, ads that will find their way onto the sleeves of the players’ jersey.

Bud Selig

All to raise even more money for 30 teams already collecting gazillions through their national broadcast rights, individual cable TV deals and other lucrative marketing campaigns both national and regional.

Selig on this date in 1999 goes so far as to say his office already is having active negotiations with potential advertisers.

Selig’s plans, though, do not come to fruition.

Well, at least not then.

Now, fast forward more than two decades and ads on sleeves for regional businesses are commonplace as only one major league team – we see you there, Tampa Bay Rays – is without a corporate logo to wear on its jersey.

Aaron Judge at the plate with a corporate logo

Even those paragons of tradition, the New York Yankees, who steadfastly refuse to put players names on the back of their jerseys, are raking in $25 million per season simply for carrying a small logo of a city-based insurance company on their sleeves.

Now, that would be a patch on the left sleeve for right-handed hitters and pitchers, and right sleeve for the lefties with the patches always facing the cameras whether the player is in the batter’s box or on the mound.

Have to have maximum TV exposure, you know.

What’s next?

Ads for gambling websites inside the ballparks?

Oh, wait, never mind.

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