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Commercial Alert has been busy in 2004. That would make sense for a group whose mission is “to keep the commercial culture within its proper sphere and to prevent it from exploiting children and subverting the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and democracy.”

In February, the group called for an international ban on the marketing of junk food to kids 12 years and under. Then it turned to the sports world.

This week, Commercial Alert focused on baseball, sending a letter to Commissioner Bud Selig, asking about ads on baseball uniforms.

Executive director Gary Ruskin opened by writing about watching the Yankee-Devil Ray season opener in Japan, pointing out, “It’s not enough to have ads between innings and ads on the ballpark. Now we have to watch mobile billboards running around the field.”

He concluded by asking several questions, including: “Is there anything in baseball that you won’t stick an ad on? Is there anything in baseball that’s not for sale?”

Trivia time: Hockey player Alexander Mogilny hit an all-time high for goals scored in the 1992-93 season. How many did he score?

Seeding frenzy: San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ray Ratto launched a spirited attack against those who want to reseed the NCAA basketball tournament:

“Re-seeding merely takes what isn’t broken and breaks it, just to amuse a few big thinkers with a vested interest in elevating the status quo to the divine right of kings.

“Why would Duke-UConn necessarily be better than Duke-Oklahoma State or UConn-Oklahoma State? And if B.J. Elder is right physically, what’s wrong with subbing Georgia Tech for OSU?”

Talk, talk, talk: Could Don Cherry be joining Howard Stern in mutual muzzling?

William Houston of the Toronto Globe and Mail was speculating this week as to whether Cherry’s long career at the CBC would end after the NHL playoffs with the closing of “Coach’s Corner.”

“Cherry’s contract with the network will expire at the end of the season, and given the turmoil in recent months, it’s viewed as possible, even likely, that changes will be made,” Houston wrote.

The turmoil erupted when the network put a seven-second delay on “Coach’s Corner” after Cherry had made derogatory remarks about players who wear visors.

Less than zero: Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times believes that the return of Ken Griffey Jr. to Seattle could benefit both parties. But does that mean it will happen? Uh, no.

“Jose Mesa has a better chance of becoming the Mariners’ closer again than Griffey has of returning to Safeco Field,” Kelley wrote.

Trivia answer: He had 76 with the Buffalo Sabres.

And finally: NFL Network’s Rich Eisen asked NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue about his contract extension:

“You’re going to take your salary in a prorated signing bonus, correct?”

Replied Tagliabue: “More or less, like Peyton Manning.”