WASHINGTON - May 7 - Sony and Major League Baseball made a partial tactical retreat last night from their plans put advertising on baseball fields, but there still will be pre-game ads on bases and pitching mounds, and ads on on-deck circles during games at the option of each home team.

“Sony and Bud Selig are still insulting the fans and our national pastime. There shouldn’t be ads on the ballfield, period,” said Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert.

“It’s time for Selig to be unequivocally clear, and declare the playing field off limits to advertising,” Ruskin said. “He should make a public commitment that a ballfield is for playing ball. It is not a billboard.”

“A bad idea is a bad idea, and a little less of a bad idea is still a bad idea,” Ruskin said. “Lots of fans enjoy the warm-ups as much as the game.”

“This is a tactical retreat to soften up the fans, and gain acceptance for the plastering of ads on the ballfield,” Ruskin said. “If Selig wants to sell ad space, he should lead by example, and put patches for corporate advertisers on his suits.”

Commercial Alert is asking people to bear in mind Sony’s degradation of our national pastime when they consider whether or not to buy Sony products or see Sony movies.

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