MLB launches Thirty Base Tour and auction to benefit Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI)

MLB has officially launched an auction for a first-of-its-kind initiative called the Thirty Base Tour, a 110-day journey for a set of three custom bases that will be used during games in all 30 Major League ballparks and authenticated every step of the way. They will also be used at Target Field for All-Star events including the Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game, the Gillette Home Run Derby and the MLB All-Star Game. Through an auction that begins today at MLB.com/auction, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the bases will benefit the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program.

The traveling bases began their baseball expedition in Miami in mid-June and by the end of the regular season, the Thirty Base Tour will have spent an entire series at every MLB Club's home ballpark. During each series, all three bases will be used in-game for a minimum of three innings and in the same base position each time. The bases have already been used during a no-hitter, courtesy of Tim Lincecum and the Giants, as well as rookie outfielder Gregory Polanco's first career five-hit game.

After being removed from play, an MLB Authenticator officially authenticates the bases and documents their use before they travel to their next destination. Fans can follow the bases online through the MLB Authentication database at MLB.com by their hologram numbers: 1st Base (HZ110358), 2nd Base (HZ110359) and 3rd Base (HZ110360).

The RBI program, which has served more than one million young people since its inception in 1989, is administered by Major League Baseball and is designed to give young people from underserved and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball, while also encouraging academic achievement and success and teaching the value of teamwork and other important life lessons. RBI currently serves more than 220,000 young men and women in over 300 programs in approximately 200 cities worldwide. MLB and its Clubs have designated more than $30 million worth of resources to the RBI program, and all 30 Clubs support RBI leagues. For more information about the RBI program, please visit MLB.com/rbi.

The Major League Baseball Authentication Program is the most comprehensive league-wide memorabilia authentication initiative in professional sports. Since its launch in 2001, it has become the industry standard for autographed and game-used sports memorabilia authentication. Designed to distinguish officially authenticated MLB memorabilia from other items on the market, the program offers an objective third-party authentication system that guarantees genuine memorabilia for all MLB fans.