OAKLAND, Calif., May 6 — Faced with a public outcry, angry threats from Congress and even criticism from some of its owners, Major League Baseball announced late Thursday that it was retreating from plans to place logos for the new movie “Spider-Man 2” on the bases during games next month.
The announcement, made jointly with Columbia Pictures, the movie’s distributor, came after a second day of criticism over what many perceived as the sport’s crass commercialization of the playing field. Baseball intended to place the webbed Spider-Man logo on the bases, home plate, the pitcher’s mound and the on-deck circle in exchange for a reported $3.6 million.
“As stated when this partnership was announced, we think this is a terrific promotion for Major League Baseball and Columbia Pictures and a great opportunity to reach out to children and families,” Robert DuPuy, baseball’s president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “The bases were an extremely small part of this program; however, we understand that a segment of our fans was uncomfortable with this particular component and we do not want to detract from the fan’s experience in any way.”
