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Derek Jeter’s handlers are squeezing the bat this week as the all-star shortstop takes his cuts on his way to the 3,000-hit mark.
The management team for the first Yankee destined to achieve the historic milestone has been reaching out to companies not aligned with Jeter to pressure them not to run any advertising attached to the event, The Post has learned.
In its bid to fully exploit the milestone’s expected mother lode of marketing opportunities, Team Jeter is calling anything more than the blandest of congratulatory print or TV ads an attempt at “guerrilla marketing.”
“If we have to protect, or if we have to make phone calls, or if we have to send letters, or if we have to do whatever is necessary, we will,” Jeter’s longtime agent, Casey Close, of Excel Sports Marketing, told The Post.
Jeter, who was only six hits shy of the mark when he came down with a calf injury last month, has rejoined the Yankees in Cleveland for a series with the Indians.
Close said he and his marketing team would “do what is necessary” to protect Jeter’s name from being hijacked by companies attempting to portray themselves as sponsors over the 3,000th hit.
“Derek has established a number of important partnerships, and these relationships are brand-specific,” he said. “And it is Derek’s name and his likeness and the exclusivity that make each of the individuals deals special to those companies.”
While most athletes’ agents are on continual watch for companies or individuals who unfairly or illegally exploit their client’s image, it is rare to find an agent reaching out to potential advertisers to pressure them not to advertise.
Close’s calls to companies come while he and his team are rushing to piece together marketing campaigns with established Jeter sponsors.
Those sponsors are getting a mix of special events on the ball field, personal Jeter appearances and other media showcases, primarily for Gatorade, Nike’s Jordan, Gillette, Tri-state Ford dealers, Steiner Sports and Movado.
Other companies that have never hired Jeter, 37, to plug their brands — a privilege costing upwards of hundreds of thousands a year — need to muzzle their celebrations if they intend to salute Yankee captain Jeter on their own with commemorative ads or promos, Close said.
To Close, that means they can run ads saying “Congratulations” or “Well done,” but cannot include Jeter’s name, his likeness, the number 3,000 or even the word “captain” in any paid ads, according to marketing insiders.