25 Best Baseball-Themed Commercials

It's hard to believe it, but the postseason is right around the corner, and for those of us who don't have contending teams to root for, 2013 opening day is only seven months away.

While we ready ourselves for what promises to be some great October baseball, 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baseball videos one of the best commercials of all time, but I'm sure we all do remember seeing the continually outdated advertisement from time to time.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.

PepsiMAX: Field of Dreams

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.

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.

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.

Texas Rangers

I can't say this is where my viewership goes during the offseason, but this is still pretty funny.

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.

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.

ESPN

Again, not actually a Detroit Tigers commercial, but still a hilarious advertisement depicting a Comerica Park proposal.

I wonder if men are finally realizing that's not a good idea?

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.

Rolling Rock: Foul Ball

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

Gatorade: Derek Jeter

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

Atlanta Braves: Hammer Time

Teams do have a tendency to utilize stars to push a product, but that's not the case here, as the Atlanta Braves instead used M.C. Hammer.

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.

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.

MLB 06

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

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.

Fox Saturday Baseball: Tim McCarver and Joe Buck

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

Minnesota Twins: Torii Hunter Ruins a Birthday Party

The Minnesota Twins have always had a pretty interesting way of producing marketing campaigns, and when Torii Hunter was in the Twin Cities he was always a focal point in their promotions.

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.

ESPN: Brian Wilson

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

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.

Now that he's gone, King Felix is the new golden boy in Seattle.

MLB 12: The Unthinkable

The newest ad for MLB '12 The Show illustrates something that fans in the Windy City have waited all too long for, as the vision of seeing the Cubs finally win the World Series seems surreal.

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.

Match.com

OK, so this isn't really a Los Angeles Dodgers commercial, and it's not even Matt Kemp.

But it made me laugh really hard, so here you go.

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.

Southwest Airlines

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.