Tigermania hits stores

TEXT OF STORY

SCOTT JAGOW: The World Series is all set. Game one tomorrow night pits the Detroit Tigers against the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s Detroit’s first appearance in 22 years, so Motown is giddy and so are the merchandisers. Diantha Parker reports.

DIANTHA PARKER: The Tigers logo is an old English D, and if history’s any guide, you’ll be soon be seeing a lot more of it.

A World Series appearance typically means a jump in sales of team merchandise — and not just locally.

Howard Smith is Major League Baseball’s vice president of licensing. He points to the case of recent Fall Classic participants.

HOWARD SMITH: The Red Sox was the greatest hot market ever. The White Sox was one of the greatest hot markets ever. This will be in the top 5 hot markets.

One the day the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, MLB.com sold $5 million worth of team merchandise, especially those hats with the letter B.

If the Tigers win the series, their old English D might just be the new Red Sox B.

In Chicago, I’m Diantha Parker for Marketplace.