I’m a baseball fan. I am an advertising person. And, we are in the midst of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals.

With that in mind, here is my take on the 7th Inning Stretch; specifically the practice of showing high profile personalities in the stands.

Pick one:
Nolan Ryan or Mark McGwire

Which person, or persona, says the most about your brand? Which one is positive which one is negative? Which person do you think Commissioner Bud Selig would rather see them show on the screen during the 7th Inning Stretch?

Thanks to my older brother, who was and is a diehard St. Louis Cardinal fan, I grew up listening to Harry Caray broadcast St. Louis Cardinals baseball. Now 40 years later here I am watching the Cardinals all through the end of the season, playoffs, and the World Series.

Right when I am feeling nostalgic about baseball, (“The one constant through all the years Ray”) BOOM – there it is, that look into the dugout of the St. Louis Cardinals and – BOOM – Mark McGwire. My reaction – why are they showing him; oh yeah that’s right he is the batting coach…

I cringe every time that happens.

And of course this is usually followed shortly by a somewhat presidential look into the stands on the Texas Rangers side of the field revealing a prestigious looking Nolan Ryan. Yes, now somewhat of elder statesman when it comes to pitching and of course the gold standard of performance – with no artificial assistance.

The good and evil of baseball staring us in the face every 7th inning: two iconic images shouting their subliminal messages throughout the playoffs and World Series.

Advertising is big on icons. The real world is big on giving iconic images meaning that just like baseball – is constant through all the years.