I saw an ad on an MLB uniform today ... will the sport go the way of NASCAR?

Factual Questions
1

In another SDMB thread, a poster noted that in the MLB opener in Japan today the uniforms of both teams had a “Ricoh” patch on the sleeves.

I’ve checked online, and confirmed this (see the photos here, for example).

Has MLB changed its rule prohibiting ads on baseball uniforms, or is this a one-time deal for this game in Japan?

Does anyone know about this? In other words, will baseball uniforms soon resemble corporate-logo-covered NASCAR cars?

If it’s true, the mods may consider moving this thread to the BBQ Pit in order to accomodate the flaming of Bud Selig …

2

AFAIK, it’s just a one-time deal for the Japan games. The Mets and Cubs sported ads back when they played there.

Soccer teams throughout the world have worn ads on their uniforms for years and yet people don’t seem to have any hard time rooting for the Man U Vodafones.

3

I am 100% positive MLB teams will wear ads on their uniforms. I’d guess it will begin within the next ten years or so. My guess is that a corporation will buy “naming rights” to a team’s uniform. The New York Citibank Yankees.

4

It’s still in the rules, according to MLB.com. Rule 1.11 (h) says

I guess MLB can do whatever they want, since it’s their rulebook, but that’s what it says. I don’t doubt that somewhere down the line, there will be advertisements on uniforms, but not to NASCAR’s level. They make too much money off of merchandising sales to do that, I would think. Who would buy a Viagra/Tide/Budweiser A-Rod jersey?

5

The same guy who would buy this.

Haj

6

Don’t they already have Nike/Adidas/Reebok or whoever makes the team’s cleats sewn into the jersey?

How does that square with the “no-sponsorship” rule?