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All faces were glued to the Nationals Ryan Zimmerman when he visited the Fredericksburg Library in February.
Katie Lough, 9, had her Ryan Zimmerman necklace on when he visited the Fredericksburg Library in early February. |
BY TODD JACOBSON
The new face of the Washington Nationals arrived at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library several weeks ago wearing a jersey and jeans and carrying a book instead of a bat.
He flashed a sheepish smile as he flipped open "Playing Right Field." Preparing to read to a large group of children and adults, many wearing jerseys that mimicked the No. 11 across his back, he looked just as comfortable as he does at third base for the Nationals.
"If you want to be the guy that's just hiding in the background all the time, I don't think you are in the right business," Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman isn't as goofy as Gilbert Arenas and he's not yet an icon like Cal Ripken Jr., but as Zimmerman enters his second full season in the majors, expectations have raised both on and off the field.
Thanks to an outstanding rookie season, the 22-year-old close-to-homegrown has become one of the keys to the Nationals' marketing strategy, a franchise cornerstone and a face that represents a team.
"He's got all the qualities you look for," said Tom Ward, the Nationals' senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "There isn't a better candidate that I can think of. You'd like to have someone that's Derek Jeter, but quite frankly Ryan can grow into a Derek Jeter. He's a guy we'll build and market around like we will build around the new ballpark."
They already have.
Zimmerman's face, along with his right-handed swing, adorns season-ticket brochures and other team mailings. On the radio, the Nationals have marketed Zimmerman along with the team's "Pledge Your Allegiance" campaign, an effort to get fans to buy tickets for 2007 in order to reserve seats for 2008, when the team's new stadium is scheduled to open.
When it became clear that Zimmerman had emerged as a fan favorite during his rookie season last year, a Ryan Zimmerman dog-tag giveaway was scheduled for September at RFK Stadium.
The team's promotional schedule hasn't been released for this season, but Ward said Zimmerman is likely to be a prominent feature.
"It's going to be a good relationship and if that includes marketing, I am sure it will," Nationals president Stan Kasten said. "We do use him often now but we use all our young players. I don't want to elevate one above the rest. That wouldn't be right to any of them."
So Chad Cordero, an all-star closer in 2005, will be part of the marketing campaign. So, too, will Austin Kearns, John Patterson, Felipe Lopez, Brian Schneider and Nick Johnson.
But Zimmerman has most of the characteristics marketers look for, from talent (he finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting after hitting .287 with 20 homers and 110 RBIs), youthful good looks and local appeal.
He grew up in Virginia Beach and played college baseball at the University of Virginia. He was the Nationals' first draft pick in 2005.
He's also poised and charismatic--it's no surprise he grew up idolizing Ripken, who parlayed his talents on the field into plenty of marketing opportunities off it.
"Nothing seems to faze him on or off the field," said his agent, Brodie Van Wagenen. "It's one of the most remarkable things I've seen, to keep his focus and attention on what his job is."
Zimmerman was one of three players included in the team's winter caravan, appearing at stops in Fredericksburg, Richmond, Virginia Beach, College Park and Washington.
Soon, he'll appear on television ads for the team. He already has done a radio spot for Passport Infiniti, and a deal to sell his game-used equipment with Tampa-based Locker Room Memorabilia (an autographed game-used Louisville Slugger bat will run fans nearly $450).
More marketing opportunities are in the works, Van Wagenen said.
"He is kind of the face of the franchise," Van Wagenen said. "He feels a connection to the franchise, because he played his college ball so close, and he was their first pick and everything has gone as well as possibly imagined.
"He embraces that, and I think he's looking forward to a new ballpark and a team that can compete and he's hoping he can be one of the core members of the team that's going to turn things around."
Pitchers and catchers report to the Nationals' spring training complex in Viera, Fla., today, with position players due in by Saturday.
But just like last season, Zimmerman has been in Florida for nearly a month, working out at the training complex owned by Creative Artists Agency in Bradenton, Fla.
"I've just been trying to do the same thing, trying to keep my routine the same and just get better," Zimmerman said. "It's been nice. It's been relaxing."
The routine may have stayed the same, but the expectations are much different a year later, from the marketers wanting a piece of him, the fans wanting autographs and pictures and a team expecting a year like his 110-RBI rookie campaign.
A year ago, the Nationals were careful to deflect expectations on the rookie. Third base became his when the team traded Vinny Castilla in the offseason, but everyone in the organization, from coaches to general manager Jim Bowden, was hesitant to predict how the rookie's season would unfold.
Play good defense, drive in a few runs here and there, and stay out of trouble--that would've been a fine year. To illustrate that point, then-manager Frank Robinson batted Zimmerman sixth in the lineup to start the season. By midseason, he was entrenched at the third spot in the lineup.
He'll be there to start this season, and with that spot comes the responsibilities of a veteran.
Anything less than 100 RBIs or 20 homers might be viewed as a disappointment this season. He'll be pressed to repeat his late-game heroics of last summer--during a 19-game span, he hit two game-ending homers and a game-ending single.
Zimmerman understands this well.
"Last year I had no offensive expectations and to go from having no expectations to going to have to do the same thing you did last year has been a little tough," Zimmerman said. "But that's part of the game. It makes you work harder now so you can do that and try to be better than you did last year."
He's focused this offseason on improving parts of his game he felt needed work. He cut down on strikeouts in the second half of season, walking more than he ever has during a season. He also wasn't entirely happy with his defense.
"There are a lot of little things I can work on," he said. "That's the funny thing about this game. It's just one little thing that can send you up and above everyone else and that's what you try and look for."
There will be plenty of people watching.
From fans, to marketers, to his own agents, plenty will be watching his rise.
"As he continues to grow, we'll try to grow with him and use him, and we think he's going to grow into a superstar," Ward said.
Todd Jacobson: 540/735-
