June 3, 200521 yr Sportsnation has an interesting poll/question on its site asking who is the face of baseball... Who should be the "face" of baseball? Tim Kurkjian says Derek Jeter is the right man to represent the entire sport, but do you agree? After searching for years, the NBA finally found its face in LeBron James. The NFL has Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb and Tom Brady battling for Super Bowls but united in selling the league as All-American quarterbacks. But who is the player Major League Baseball should market as its poster boy for the sport? Are you sold on Jeter's winning ways? The power and grace of Albert Pujols? The "real" baseball of Juan Pierre? Or is Dontrelle Willis' effervescent spirit the way to go? You can rank 20 players, 1-20 here: http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnatio...stranker?id=290 Who is the face of baseball to you guys?
June 3, 200521 yr Author I'll go with Timmy 794329[/snapback] I tend to agree, Im not a fan, for obvious reasons....but, Jeter is probably overall the most marketable/face of the league. Great player and a winner and plays on the most famous team...so he is an obvious choice. Baseball is harder to find a 'face' due to the fact that some of it's best players have English as a second language. I think Miguel Tejada and Albert Pujols are other good choices... (BTW, how the hell is Joe Mauer on that list???)
June 3, 200521 yr I'll go with Timmy 794329[/snapback] I tend to agree, Im not a fan, for obvious reasons....but, Jeter is probably overall the most marketable/face of the league. Great player and a winner and plays on the most famous team...so he is an obvious choice. Baseball is harder to find a 'face' due to the fact that some of it's best players have English as a second language. I think Miguel Tejada and Albert Pujols are other good choices... (BTW, how the hell is Joe Mauer on that list???) 794334[/snapback] Because Timmy's man-attraction is off the charts for this guy.
June 3, 200521 yr If Prior would stop getting hurt, I'd say him, but D-Train is my pick. Pitching is really on the comeback, and he's a young, seeminly nice kid who is really breaking out this year and should be a star for years to come. He is also a good face due to the race issue. African-American players in the game have been on the downward the last decade, and a young black superstar pitcher like D-Train can help get kids in the inner cities and such excited about baseball again IMO.
June 3, 200521 yr I don't think there is a good face at the moment. probably Jeter and willis as the top picks. Sosa, McGwire and Griffey were great faces at some point of their career
June 3, 200521 yr I agree with what Craig said, there isn't a really good reason to not say Dontrelle because he is the face of the new young pitching movement. Jeter may be the most recognizable face, but to me, the sport has never been "his." Junior was the face up until the trade to Cincy, then it was Sosa's until the bat incident, and I think that the game belonged to ARod until he became a Yankee, proving that you can't have a player on such a "love 'em or hate 'em" team be the face of the sport. If Jeter embodies the "Yankee way" then there's no way he's the face. At least Dontrelle has the crazy mannerisms and the effervescent smile to energize fans.
June 3, 200521 yr DTrain is on is way to being the face of baseball... young, energetic, great attitude, very personable and he's got the high leg kick... one of how many african american starting pitchers in baseball? 4? He's well on his way to being the face of baseball, IMO I'm not picking Jeter... I'll go with Clemens
June 3, 200521 yr Author I can't ever think that a pitcher can be the face of a league. They play only every 5th day...they are not seen on a regular basis. The league MVP also rarely goes to a pitcher. Willis does have the charisma and skills to be a great assett to the league however. Craig - Prior? Really? Ive always considered him one of the more bland and boring players in the league...maybe it is just me. Plus hes only had one great season... Ive got a question as well, why didnt T.K consider Vlad?
June 3, 200521 yr Ive got a question as well, why didnt T.K consider Vlad? 794380[/snapback] He's been an invisible super-star for his career, it's not surprising to me that he didn't put him up there. There's also the issue of the language barrier, remember his Angels press conference? Vlad is, no question, top-5 talent, but he just gives off too much of that loner vibe to really make people rally around him.
June 3, 200521 yr people like Torri Hunter, Juan Pierre and Joe mauer shouldn't be on the list before Vlad though
June 3, 200521 yr people like Torri Hunter, Juan Pierre and Joe mauer shouldn't be on the list before Vlad though 794389[/snapback] That's true, but looking at the list, there really is an (and what a surprise) east-coast bias...
June 3, 200521 yr ...and how the hell is Mark Mulder on the list? 794394[/snapback] probably the fact that he's on the cardinals
June 3, 200521 yr Author I dont mind Hunter being an option. He's a colorful player with an amazing leaping ability that makes highlight reel plays on defense and he will always be linked to robbing Bonds in that all-star game. Is he the face? No way...top 25? Sure.
June 3, 200521 yr Craig - Prior? Really? Ive always considered him one of the more bland and boring players in the league...maybe it is just me. Plus hes only had one great season... 794380[/snapback] Actually, he keeps kinda quiet due to the loud personalities on their team like Baker and Wood and formerly Hawkins, but he could be a face of the game if he ever stayed healthy, because he's going to win 20 or close to it every year he stays healthy, and he's really a guy they could market around, both the Cubs and baseball.
June 3, 200521 yr Pujols, Jeter's status as baseball's posterboy has dimished due to the Yankee's lack of rings in the past few years.
June 4, 200521 yr Pujols, Jeter's status as baseball's posterboy has dimished due to the Yankee's lack of rings in the past few years. 794455[/snapback] true
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