• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, April 11, 2011

Fresh off his appearance as a spokesman for Capital One during NCAA tournament ads, Alec Baldwin of "30 Rock" has taken on the role for New Era, the official cap used by Major League Baseball players. He joins "The Office" star John Krasinski in spots that will run during New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox games nationally on ESPN and Fox and on regional sports networks in New York and Boston.

The actors were chosen based on their sports allegiances: Baldwin is an avid Yankees fan and Krasinski a Red Sox backer. In the spots, the two exchange some mild trash-talk.

Comedy Central, Adult Swim, FX and Spike will also air the spots with a "Rivals Are Forever" tagline. New Era's efforts also include social media and in-stadium initiatives, as well as in-store promos.

"We've created a campaign that celebrates the most talked-about aspect of Major League Baseball -- the rivalry," said New Era CEO Christopher H. Koch. "And we've taken one of baseball's most recognizable rivalries and used it as a catalyst to inspire fans everywhere."