20 of the Best Baseball Commercials of All Time

It's hard to believe it, but 2012 is already upon us, and baseball's opening day is only 92 days away.

While we ready ourselves for spring training and an eventual start to the regular season, there's time to take a look at the more lighthearted side of sports, not the least of which is the advertisements that our favorite players constantly find themselves in.

I'm not ready to call Fred McGriff's endorsement of Tom Emanski's baseball videos one of the best commercials of all time, but I'm sure we all do remember seeing the continually outdated advertisement from time to time.

Here are some other notable baseball commercials that have crossed the airwaves.

San Francisco Giants: Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson

The premise for this San Francisco Giants commercial is pretty clever, and I enjoyed seeing a pre-beard Brian Wilson toned down a bit from his current antics.

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball: Clay Buchholz and Nick Swisher

Having always been known for producing quality commercials with cameos that just work, Clay Buchholz and Nick Swisher form the first of two Red Sox/Yankee combos we'll see in this slideshow.

Pepsi MAX: Field of Dreams Commercial

Pairing a classic baseball movie with the game's biggest names is a recipe for success, as the series of popular Pepsi MAX commercials illustrated this past summer.

Busch Beer: Whitey Herzog and Jack Buck

One of the funnier commercials I found from the '80s, I can only imagine it's a matter of time before Joe Buck takes that from his dad too.

MVP Baseball 2004: Albert Pujols

Since advertising is one of the best ways for video game companies to get the name out there for their games, the commercials typically reflect the effort they put in. This commercial with Albert Pujols is no different.

ESPN: Brian Wilson

Since I really can't stand the Brian Wilson Taco Bell commercials, I thought this would be a good Brian Wilson addition since it really is pretty funny.

Nike: Mark McGwire, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux

Chicks dig the long ball, but do they dig the steroids?

Minnesota Twins: Joe Mauer and Joe Nathan

The Minnesota Twins' marketing department has always been known for its creativity when it comes to advertisements and promotions, with this commercial featuring Joe Mauer's mom being no different.

La Preferida Foods: Harry Caray

The commercial wasn't nearly as entertaining as I anticipated when I found it, but the fact that Harry Caray endorsed Mexican condiments is funny in itself.

Seattle Mariners: Ichiro Suzuki

Judging by the number of marketing campaigns, promotions and advertisements tied to Ichiro Suzuki, the Mariners' marketing department must have been jumping for joy when he first signed a contract.

Fox Sports: Yankees vs. Red Sox Commercial

The Yankees/Red Sox rivalry needs little promotion, but that doesn't stop Fox from taking it to a new (and hilarious) level.

Fox Saturday Baseball: Tim McCarver and Joe Buck

You can't help but laugh when Tim McCarver channels his inner T-Pain.

ESPN: David Ortiz and Jorge Posada

Since David Ortiz is widely considered one of baseball's funniest players, it's no surprise he'd end up in one of ESPN's promotional ads.

Southwest Airlines Baseball Video Game

No professional athletes involved here, but I have to imagine this has happened a number of times since the Nintendo Wii first came to town.

Gatorade: Derek Jeter

Leave it to Gatorade to dramatize something as commonplace as stealing a base.

ESPN Fantasy Baseball

Can't say this has ever happened to me, but with the always growing popularity of fantasy sports, this commercial was likely a hit for ESPN.

Pepsi: Ken Griffey Jr.

I remember this commercial being overplayed to an annoying extreme when it was first aired, but looking back it's really an entertaining advertisement.

MLB 06 Commercial

You have to hand it to the the group that built an entire marketing campaign on a fictional player that was supposedly drafted by the Oakland Athletics at the age of 16.

Aquafina: Lou Piniella

Lou Piniella is certainly one of the most short-fused managers in baseball history. You have to love the fact that he can poke fun at himself, as he does in this Aquafina commercial.

Rolling Rock Foul Ball Commercial

Too bad this commercial was banned from TV, because it's the type of advertisement that always seems to do well.