Annual Online Auction at MLB.com/wintermeetingsauction Once Again Offers Special Opportunities, Including Meeting Mike Trout, All-Star Week Tickets, Autographed Item from 2024 MLB at Rickwood Field Game, Being a Nationals Groundskeeper, and More
Effort Led by MLB & Club Communications and Community Groups
In Continued Commitment to Supporting Those Affected by Cancer
NASHVILLE, TN – For the 10th overall year, Major League Baseball and its Clubs have organized a charity auction during Baseball’s Annual Winter Meetings to benefit a special cause close to the game, supporting Stand Up To Cancer. This year’s auction, which is now LIVE at MLB.com/wintermeetingsauction until Thursday, December 7th at 10:00 p.m. (ET), provides memorable baseball experiences, including special interactions with Major League players (e.g., Mike Trout), MLB managers, as well as once-in-a-lifetime on-field opportunities (e.g., serving as a broadcaster or groundskeeper for the day) and treasured items (e.g., authenticated, signed jersey from MLB at Rickwood Field Game).
The auction this year, which was spearheaded by Major League Baseball, will once again support Stand Up To Cancer, in honor of Billy Bean (MLB’s Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and former Major League outfielder) and Catalina Villegas (MLB’s Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), both of whom are in treatment for cancer diagnoses. The Winter Meetings Charity Auction began in 2012 and took place for the first time at Winter Meetings in Nashville. Proceeds for the inaugural auction were also donated to Stand Up To Cancer, a longtime charitable partner of MLB and its Clubs.
All items and experiences have been generously donated by all 30 MLB Clubs, more than a dozen Minor League Clubs, the Office of the Commissioner, MLB Network and the Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown, NY. Following are some of the many special experiences and items, on which fans can now bid:
· MLB Ticket Package:
o 2024 MLB All-Star Week in Arlington – Tickets to all events at Globe Life Field (All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, T-Mobile Home Run Derby, SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and All-Star Celebrity Softball Game) as well as the LIVE 2024 MLB Draft. Package also includes an opportunity to watch batting practice from the field before the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, July 15th.
· Special Meet & Greets with baseball superstar Mike Trout; 2023 National League Champions and All-Stars Zac Gallen, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo; 2023 Gold Glove winners Christian Walker and Gabriel Moreno, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, Orioles EVP & GM Mike Elias, players and coaches from the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Oakland A’s and more.
· Personal experiences including:
o Luncheon for eight with 2008 World Series Champion Cole Hamels in the Executive Dining Room at Citizens Bank Park.
o Youth hitting lesson with Washington Nationals Hitting Coach Darnell Coles.
o On-field catch session with Colorado Rockies Infielder Nolan Jones.
o Little League coaching session at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy facilities to receive one-on-one instruction from a Texas Rangers player or coach. Little League team will also be invited to attend batting practice and will receive two tickets to a game per player.
· Ceremonial first pitch and PLAY BALL! opportunities at Guaranteed Rate Field, Progressive Field, Comerica Park, Kauffman Stadium and Angel Stadium.
· Incredible ballpark experiences, including:
o Experience a day-in-the-life of Arizona Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo with a pregame basketball shootaround game of horse on the field, a chance to swim in the D-backs Crèmily Pool Suite, tag along for the manager’s media availability, watch batting practice from the field then enjoy the game with premier seats.
o Win a once-in-a-lifetime chance to ride along in the Phillie Phanatic’s Hot Dog Launcher.
o Watch a game with New York Mets Owners Steve and Alex Cohen at Citi Field.
o Child can walk out the line-up card and also receive four tickets for his/her family on the “Green Monster” at Fenway Park.
o Meet New York Yankees players following a behind-the-scenes tour of Yankee Stadium, which will include a special opportunity to hold artifacts from Yankees players past and present.
o Be a part of the groundskeeper crew at Nationals Park.
o VIP Padres experience including field level seats and VIP Owners Box experience from the one and only Owners Box at Petco Park along with pregame passes to watch batting practice at field level and receive an autographed ball from All-Star Manny Machado.
o Watch batting practice from the field and receive premium seats at Rogers Centre.
o VIP batting practice experiences at T-Mobile Park and Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
o Join the San Francisco Giants with pregame Field Passes and experience the Gotham Club, a members-only, speakeasy-style social club located at Oracle Park.
o Take a special tour of the historic Wrigley Field scoreboard.
o Win a youth experience with 32 tickets for Little League team to attend a Houston Astros game, in addition to receiving 16 pre-game batting practice passes.
o Take in a Cincinnati Reds game with infield box seats at Great American Ball Park and view batting practice from field-level.
o Watch batting practice and attend Minnesota Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli’s pregame media session and deliver the Twins’ lineup card to the umpires.
o Take in an opening day experience at Busch Stadium with Cardinals Nation Pre-Game Party Tickets, Loge Game Tickets, Redbird Club Passes.
o Field-level MVP tickets and batting practice viewing experience at Dodger Stadium.
o Home Plate Club tickets to a 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates regular season home game, the opportunity to join the PNC Park Grounds Crew in changing the bases, and an autographed and authenticated Oneil Cruz Pirates jersey.
· Learn the Business of Baseball:
o Go behind-the-scenes and shadow the Seattle Mariners Communications staff from pregame to final out, including Manager pregame media sessions and special press box seats to watch the game.
o Be a team photographer with the Kansas City Royals or Tampa Bay Rays.
o Be a media member for the day with the Milwaukee Brewers.
· Broadcast Experiences:
o Be a Tampa Bay Rays broadcaster for the day, which includes Kevin Cash media availability, pregame media meal and being a part of the broadcast for two innings.
o Meet Bally Sports Florida and Marlins Radio Network broadcasters from the field during pregame, take part in media availability with 2023 National League Manager of the Year Skip Schumaker of the Miami Marlinsand take in a behind-the-scenes tour of the Bally Sports Florida broadcast truck.
o Enjoy a San Francisco Giants game from the Willie McCovey Booth at Oracle Park.
o Meet St. Louis Cardinals Radio and TV Broadcaster personalities and take in the game from the radio booth. Also enjoy a special pregame field visit and UMB Champions Club dining experience.
o Join Toronto Blue Jays broadcasters Buck Martinez and Jamie Campbell for lunch at Sportsnet Grill, followed by a VIP Tour of Rogers Centre to watch from the field as the Blue Jays take batting practice.
o Behind-the-scenes with the Twins’ TV and radio broadcast staff, visit the TV truck, Treasure Island Baseball Network radio studio, TV and radio broadcast booths, and the Herb Carneal Press Box pregame during a Minnesota Twins game.
· Exclusive autographed items:
o Christian Yelich autographed ball and bat.
o 2022 Jackie Robinson NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II autographed jersey.
o Authentic Cardinals jersey from upcoming Rickwood Field game autographed by Manager Oli Marmol.
· Unique Opportunities:
o Receive a tour of the MLB Instant Replay Center by MLB Officials.
o Receive two Dell EMC Club Tickets to a 2024 concert at Fenway Park.
o Receive up to five recorded greetings from New York Yankees players for any special occasion, including birthdays, graduations, baby reveals and more.
· MLB Network Studio Tour:
o Tour MLB Network studios and receive four autographed baseballs from Hall of Famers including Jim Thome, Ken Griffey Jr., Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez and Vladimir Guerrero.
· Minor League Clubs: Packages similar to the above have been donated by dozens of Minor League Clubs all throughout America, including:
o Opportunity to escort the 2024 St. Paul Saints Ballpig in a truly unique, one-of-a-kind pregame experience in St. Paul, Mississippi.
o Nashville Sounds Owners Experience with four Club Level tickets, a two-night hotel stay provided, pregame ballpark tour, watch batting practice before gates open and more.
o Dozens of opportunities to throw out a ceremonial first pitch, watch games from luxury suites and join radio broadcasters on the air for half of an inning.
· Hall of Fame: An exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum archives, where you will hear little known stories about Hall of Famers and learn about the greatest collection of baseball artifacts in the world.
NOTE: The above is not the full list of items and experiences, but rather a sample of some of the more unique offerings through this auction. A full list of items and experiences can be found here.
ABOUT THE WINTER MEETINGS CHARITY AUCTION
Since its inception in 2012, the Winter Meetings Charity Auction has raised nearly $2 million toward a variety of causes, including lung cancer research in honor and memory of Orioles Public Relations Great Monica Barlow, a youth baseball and softball field in memory of Mets Public Relations Great Shannon Forde, a scholarship fund in memory of the late, beloved baseball executive Katy Feeney, for the Jackie Robinson Foundation and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and for the five organizations leading the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Most recently, donations were given in support of the establishment of a new Boys & Girls Club in Uvalde, TX, a much-needed resource for Uvalde youth and their families following the aftermath of the Robb Elementary shooting.
