The Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, like most MLB teams, is giving away a different promotion for each of the team’s home games this year. Yesterday, the official 2012 Rays Baseball Promotional Calendar was released, and it looks like most of the items are typical: game schedule magnets, collectible t-shirts, a Rays youth hat, some Joe Maddon sunglasses (will they be a rehash of the glasses promo from 2006?), bobbleheads of some of the Rays players (of course), a koozie (yawn), and a few other baseball promo items that might be more interesting – like the ice cream bowl and spoon set…and the Zim Bear. Especially the Zim Bear.

The Zim Bear

What on earth is the “Zim Bear”, you ask? Well, it’s not exactly “cute and cuddly”. It’s basically a teddy bear with a human face on it – the face of Don Zimmer, the Tampa Bay Rays’ senior advisor and former coach. Why would someone want this monstrosity? We don’t know – but it’s sure to be a Tampa Bay Rays collectible due to it’s uniqueness.

One thing is certain: this is a very unique baseball promotion, and it’s one of those items that people will talk about and remember for quite some time. (When Tampa Bay’s WTSP did a piece on this giveaway the caption was “Zim Bear: Cute or Creepy?”) You either love it or hate it, and there’s no way to not have an opinion about it.

In the world of baseball promo marketing, it’s apparent that the Tampa Bay Rays have hit a home run.