It doesn’t get much more American than baseball and Chevrolet.

General Motors is trying out a new marketing tactic with a Chevy-branded exhibition version of Flick Baseball Pro.  The app is available for download on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch and allows users to play 3- or 9-inning games with “life-like control of pitching and hitting via the accelerometer.”

The automotive tie-in comes courtesy of the Chevy Dugout portion of the app, where players can learn more about Chevy vehicles, like the iconic Corvette or hot-selling Equinox.  Fans who enter the dugout can also enter for a chance to win a trip to the 2010 All Star game.

Yes, this Americana-laden promotion is a bit cheesy.  And yes, there is some schlepping of products involved.  But as far as marketing and advertising is concerned, GM may be on to a grand slam concept here.

The baseball fan wants a fun game to play.  The automaker wants exposure to an audience that’s receptive to its message.  When GM sponsors the app – which normally retails for $2.99 – both parties benefit from the transaction.

That’s a nice change from billboards and television commercials where viewers are frustrated by the distractions and advertisers are frustrated by the lack of attention paid to their messages.

And while sponsored content is not exactly new in the marketing world, GM is among the first to offer a sponsored app like this for the iPad.

The Detroit automaker was also clever to tie into social media with a feature by Plus+ that allows players to brag about their baseballs skills to friends on Facebook.  This makes it convenient for users to share and it increases the chance for the app to go viral and spread to a larger audience.

If this app succeeds, it’s likely that other advertisers will jump in with sponsored content of their own.  But hey: if you’re going to be advertised to, you might as well get something in return.