Marketing and all things related

The professional baseball season is here, so there's no better time to talk about cause marketing related to baseball!  Charity Wines brings us the Longball Cellars line of wines named for Major League Baseball players.

In the Spring of 2007, three wines named for Boston baseball players Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield brought in $350,000 for charity in just three months.  That success led Charity Wines to expand the professional baseball player wine line this year to 18 retired and active players from Boston, New York, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Chicago, Baltimore and Philadelphia.  The goal is to raise $2 million for charity in 2008 through the sales of Longball Cellars wines.

Each athlete chooses the charity that the proceeds of the wine with their name and likeness on it will go to.  In 2008, football and hockey players will also participate bringing the total number of athlete-branded wines to 33. 

I think this is a great idea.  I'm not sure if wine is the best match.  Beer probably would have been better in terms of the target market for professional sports, but regardless, I think it's a creative way to extend the athletes' brands and raise money for charity at the same time.

What do you think?  Would you buy Jorge Posada Cabernet?  How about Mike Schmidt Zinfandel?