Pepsi MAX and Fans Build Field of Dreams™ Team of Major League Baseball Legends

PURCHASE, N.Y., Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As Major League Baseball (MLB) gears up for the Postseason, Pepsi MAX announces the 2011 Field of Dreams™ Team – a who's who of legendary players who will visit the hometown of one lucky winner for the ultimate fan face-off game. On September 14, Pepsi MAX will announce the four lucky fan finalists on mlb.com/pepsimax, who will each begin campaigning for their chance to take on this real-life fantasy team next spring with ten of their friends.

More than 2.5 million votes were cast from baseball enthusiasts across the country to determine the 11-man dream team, which includes some of the biggest names in baseball: Cal Ripken Jr., Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn and Reggie Jackson.  The team was selected from 30 player nominees who represent more than 20 Hall of Famers, 325 All-Star Game Selections, 32 World Series Championships, 20 League MVPs, 15 Cy Young Awards, and 119 Gold Gloves.  Their records have stood the test of time and their stories have become a part of the fabric of the game, creating the tapestry that is the National Pastime.

The Pepsi MAX® Field of Dreams™ Team roster is comprised of:

• Starting Pitcher – Randy Johnson
• Catcher – Johnny Bench
• First Baseman – Frank Thomas
• Second Baseman – Rod Carew
• Third Baseman – Mike Schmidt
• Short Stop – Cal Ripken, Jr.
• Outfielders – Ken Griffey, Jr., Tony Gwynn and Reggie Jackson
• Relief Pitcher – Dennis Eckersley
• Designated Hitter – Edgar Martinez

"It was an honor to be part of the Pepsi MAX® Field of Dreams™ ballot," said Tony Gwynn, baseball Hall of Famer and Pepsi MAX® Field of Dreams™ Team outfielder.  "These guys are some of the greatest baseball players of all time, and it's truly humbling to be chosen by the fans for their Field of Dreams™ Team."

Similar to how the 11-man roster was chosen, from September 14 through October 5, fans will have the chance to vote for which of the four finalists will host the Pepsi MAX® Field of Dreams™ Team, in their local community surrounded by family, friends and baseball fans.  Additionally, ESPN will air a one-hour special chronicling the Pepsi MAX® Field of Dreams™ program, the fan-voted 11-man team and four consumer finalists on September 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

"Pepsi MAX wanted to engage MLB fans by having them choose their favorite players from a ballot of some of the greatest living legends of the game," said Mark Rooks, senior director for Pepsi sports marketing.  "While fans had some tough decisions to make, we ended up with a true 'Field of Dreams' team and one lucky fan will soon get the chance to share the field and challenge this team to a game."

About Pepsi MAX® Field of Dreams™

From July 12 through August 31, baseball fans across the country had the chance to log on to mlb.com/pepsimax to cast their vote for their favorite players in each of 9 positions.  For each ballot cast, fans were entered to win the chance to take on the winning Pepsi MAX® Field of Dreams™ Team on their home turf next spring.  Celebrity baseball fans supermodel, Selita Ebanks and reggaeton stars, RKM y Ken Y joined the men who made baseball history at the Pepsi MAX attraction during MLB All-Star FanFest in Phoenix to cast their votes.

The promotion is an extension of the brand's advertising creative, which launched earlier this year.  As the official soft drink of MLB, zero calorie Pepsi MAX took a creative spin on the Field of Dreams movie to create two spots – "Clubhouse in the Corn" and "Rally."

About Pepsi MAX

Pepsi MAX, with its zero calories and maximum Pepsi taste, is one of PepsiCo's billion-dollar global brands and is part of Pepsi Americas Beverages.  To learn more about Pepsi MAX, visit Pepsi Max on Facebook at: www.PepsiMAX.com/facebook or on Twitter at: @PepsiMAX.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales.  Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries.  With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose.  By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide.  In recognition of its continued sustainability efforts, PepsiCo was named for the third time to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and for the fourth time to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) in 2009. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE PepsiCo