Click photo for gallery of Chevy trucks at the All-Star Game
Yes, nothing says "unnecessary" like giving a professional athlete a free car, but it's all about brand promotion, and El General loves to throw sets of keys to MVP winners. During the Super Bowl, they give away a Caddy, and last night at the conclusion of the MLB All-Star Game, Chevy GM Ed Peper was on hand to award an '08 Tahoe Hybrid to Mariners CF and game MVP Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro, in the walk year of a 4-year, $44 Million contract, could buy a Tahoe Hybrid with his pocket money, but that's beside the point, we suppose. His in-game heroics (3 for 3 with an inside-the-park HR) helped lead the AL over the NL for the 9,000th year in a row. Ichiro will apparently be able to add countless more Tahoe Hybrids to his stable as early as Friday, as the Seattle Times reports the M's are set to give him a 5-year, $100M extension. Too bad. He would have looked real nice guarding the short porch in right in the Bronx.
The gallery below has more Chevy-oriented All-Star Game pics in it, including players (current and retired) riding into the ballpark in the beds of Silverados. The GM press photo of Derek Jeter in the Chevy truck could possibly be construed as a subtle dig at Ford, since the Yankee captain is a spokesman for the Tri-State Ford dealers here in my neck of the woods.
[Sources: GM, Seattle Times, MLB.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Oluseyi @ Jul 11th 2007 4:46PM
All I care is, what's up with Ichiro's tight-ass jeans? Damn!
Don @ Jul 12th 2007 1:09AM
Why are we staring at his jeans again?
Johnny Rocket @ Jul 11th 2007 4:56PM
A little big?
Viv @ Jul 11th 2007 5:04PM
Derek Jeter pushes Fords???
Alex Nunez @ Jul 11th 2007 5:16PM
Viv,
Yes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wU5py9UpvM
There have been a few different ones.
Lithous @ Jul 11th 2007 5:05PM
"Yes, nothing says 'unnecessary' like giving a professional athlete a free car,"
Don't worry, he is probably very loyal and is going to give it to Toyota right away so they can steal study the world's most advanced production hybrid system.
Anyways, what's stopping him from giving it to a charity or hospital? GM is just saying he earned a vehicle and can do what he wants with it. If it doesn't go to good use and it is just sitting in his driveway don't blame GM.
Val @ Jul 11th 2007 5:45PM
haha :) love your sarcasm, brilliant piece there!
warsteiner89 @ Jul 11th 2007 6:45PM
I think I saw that same car on eBay few hours after the game...
Lithous @ Jul 11th 2007 7:02PM
Looks like the Tahoe Ichiro won has option code BARSWHS. This is to be selected if you want to make sure people know you drive a Hybrid.
Big Ass Rear Side Window Hybrid Sticker.
Don @ Jul 12th 2007 1:08AM
Congrats! You're worth millions of millions, and we've decided to fork over a $40,000 Tahoe for free!