MAJOR LEAGUERS PITCH SALES FOR TOYS 'R' US.

Byline: Candice Choi Staff Writer

When Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Odalis Perez appears at a Toys 'R' Us in Glendale next week, he'll no doubt prompt a stampede of baseball fans young and old to the store.

At a Toys 'R' Us in Sunnyvale, shoppers will bump into Jason Schmidt, while Adam Laroche is set to pop up in a Georgia store over the next few weeks.

The scheduled appearances are part of Major League Baseball's latest campaign to capture the imagination of kids for the national pastime - and for all the merchandise that accompanies it.

While game attendance and TV ratings are soaring along with sales of licensed merchandise, the sale of baseball cards is the one area that has remained relatively flat for the past several years, said Colin Hagen, vice president of licensing for MLB.

The baseball organization has launched a marketing blitz to boost interest in collecting cards, even running a new commercial on the Cartoon Network, ``The Kids Next Door,'' about a gang of kids who collect baseball cards.

Nearly 3 million free pamphlets on how to collect baseball cards were also recently published by MLB in conjunction with the launch of the partnership with Toys 'R' Us.

The New Jersey toy retailer has long carried MLB merchandise in its sporting-goods department, but this marks the first time the chain is bringing in licensed apparel and exclusive toys, said Kathleen Waugh, Toys `R' Us spokeswoman.

``It's all pulled together under one location, too,'' she said, referring to the feature shops set up in stores to display all MLB goods.

The minishops feature an array of items including baseball cards, sporting goods and collectibles. New toys sold exclusively through the chain are on display, too, including a boxed set with 6-inch figures of icons like Barry Bonds and Willie Mays.

``We wanted to bring it all together in a coordinated effort and make it sing. From a product standpoint, it lets us showcase everything we have in one location,'' Hagen said.

The feature shops will remain in place through mid-May.

Though MLB carries a range of products for all age groups, kids are ``a real focal point'' for the organization, Hagen said. ``We want to make sure baseball is always perceived as being cool.''

On opening day in ballparks around the country, fans were given catalogs of MLB merchandise now available in Toys `R' Us stores. Many of those items can already be found at several retailers.

``Baseball merchandise in some shape or form is everywhere,'' Hagen said. What sets the partnership with Toys 'R' Us apart are the exclusive toys. The appearances by players scheduled over the next couple of weeks is a strategy long familiar to the toy retailer, which draws shoppers by offering exclusive toys for a number of franchises.

``We work with vendors to create a point of differentiation,'' Waugh said. Tying merchandise to a franchise with a deep, loyal following clearly helps bring traffic into the store. The in-store appearances will also generate a storm of traffic, Waugh said.

Toys `R' Us also partners with toy makers such as Hasbro to sell exclusive ``Star Wars'' merchandise.

The retailer also plans to launch toys in conjunction with a string of upcoming movies, including ``Batman Begins,'' ``Fantastic Four'' and a remake of ``King Kong.''

Candice Choi, [phone]

candice.choi(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) A Cal Ripken Jr. action figure awaits a buyer at a Toys `R' Us in Woodland Hills. Dodgers pitcher Odalis Perez is among real baseball stars who will visit stores in the chain next week.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer