Baseball union says Mookie Betts marketing work is mediocre

Baseball union president Tony Clark said the marketing of Boston Red Sox tournament player Mookie Betts, the most valuable player in the American league, was poorly done.

"Mookie should be a household name," Clark told the Association of Baseball Writers of America. "Mookie should be a guy with a name, you say Ronaldo, you say Messi, you say Mookie, you should know who Mookie is, and outside the world of baseball, I do not know how much."

Betts won his fourth consecutive star selection after helping Boston win the World Series last year.

"As for the players who should be at the forefront of all conversations and who should be in conversation, even with non-baseball fans, Mookie is one of them," he said. Clark. "No doubt about it, and unless we fix it, it will be difficult for others to take part in this conversation as well."

Clark said Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred would likely be able to respond to what is needed to increase Betts' recognition.

"I want to be able to turn on the television and see the product players with sponsors, licensees, up and down the streets, whether you're in a big or a small town, I'd like them to overlap in other sports and other industries, on television and in movie-promoting commercials, "Clark said. "I'd love to see it all so that our guys are in the general public." Promoting our guys on the baseball chains will not get us there. "Baseball fans know who Mookie is." Non-baseball fans deserve to know who Mookie is. "

The Betts entered the all-star game to start the eighth inning, but they did not play in front of the boards.

"There were other guys we wanted to play with," said Alex Cora, AL manager, Red Sox. "There were a lot of beginners, and we sort of mapped, and he was going to come in the ninth, and we just won the game."