A lineup that sells: Rollins, Howard, Utley, Hamels

Chances are you've seen that Dick's Sporting Goods commercial featuring Jimmy Rollins, the one for Nike Air Swingman Remix cleats, in which a pitching machine fires baseballs off his chest. You might not know that the same commercial has been seen across America, just as the advertising campaigns Ryan Howard has done with the sporting goods company in conjunction with adidas.

Call it the spoils of victory - and a good start.

A byproduct of winning the World Series last fall is that certain members of this young Phillies team have become an increasingly larger presence in the marketing/advertising arena. The four big names are Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels, according to David Buck, the club's senior vice president for marketing and advertising sales. But players such as Shane Victorino and even manager Charlie Manuel have done appearances with some frequency during the offseason.

Regionally, Buck says, the team has received "twice the amount of phone calls from companies that want to work with our players than we would get in a normal offseason."

Nationally, Howard and Rollins have become brands, and Hamels and Utley are not far behind. Buck said Howard and Rollins had a head start by virtue of winning the NL Most Valuable Player awards in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Hamels also did a spot this spring for New Era Caps, the official provider of headwear for Major League Baseball.

"Winning the World Series has given our players a national stage," Buck said. "All four of them are more popular now . . . I think of them as old-fashioned type players. They like to play and people know that. And they are photogenic."

Experts say the fact that the economy is in such a deep recession undercut some of the players' opportunities. However, Jeff Hennion, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Dick's, said his company was delighted to have an opportunity to work with Rollins and Howard, the latter of whom also has an endorsement deal with Subway. While Dick's had not used Rollins before, the spot with Howard and Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton discussing what it takes to get the World Series was the second commercial Howard had done for the company. Previously, he was part of a campaign that showed pro stars giving tips to amateur players.