A stamp of approval from the 'Great Dodger in Sky'

There's that story Tommy Lasorda likes to tell, about how when he dies, he wants his headstone to have the current Dodgers' schedule on it so that when people come by to visit him in the cemetary, they could also see if the team was playing that day.

Now, with the MLB's approval, he can go one step further -- or six feet under -- on that desire.

Major League Baseball has started a creepy marketing deal with a company called Eternal Image. It'll put team logos on caskets and urns, starting next season, with the Dodgers among the first teams already included, along with the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Phillies and Cubs. It could eventually include all 30 teams.

Each urn will be stamped with a message saying Major League Baseball officially recognizes the deceased as a lifelong fan of that team.

"We have been receiving these requests either directly or through our clubs for several years," said Susan Goodenow, an MLB spokeswoman, told the Associated Press. "Passionate fans express their love of their team in a number of different ways."

The National Funeral Directors Association is meeting in Philadelphia this week and giving its members a sneak peak of what the urns will look like. Eternal Image says urns for the six teams should be available by Opening Day 2007, and caskets for those teams should be ready later in the year. The products have not been made yet and the exact cost has not been set.

Kurt Soffe, a spokesman for the funeral association, said the MLB caskets are part of a trend of trying to capture "the life and the passions of the person that has passed away ... More and more families are wanting to have something that respects the personalities."

Each urn will feature recognition of the deceased's passionate support, stamped with a message that says "Major League Baseball officially recognizes (person's name) as a lifelong fan of (team)."

It's a shame that these are only made for human remains. Who wouldn't want to see their Dodger Dog grinded up and saved in one of these things to put up on the shelf to impress friends and family members.