For the seventh consecutive year, Major League Baseball, MLB Network and all 30 Clubs have organized a charity auction during Baseball's Annual Winter Meetings to benefit a special cause close to the game. This year, the auction will support the Jackie Robinson Foundation and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, two important institutions that educate future generations by honoring significant moments and individuals of baseball's past.
This year's auction is now LIVE at MLB.com/wintermeetingsauction until Thursday, December 13th at 10:00 p.m. (ET), and once again includes special baseball experiences, including meeting some of today's biggest baseball stars, and unique items donated by MLB, MLB Network and all 30 MLB Clubs. Following are some of the items on which supporters can now bid:
• 2019 MLB All-Star Experience: The winning bidder will receive four (4) tickets to each of the scheduled July 2019 MLB All-Star Week events at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH, including the following: SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game (Sunday, July 7th), T-Mobile Home Run Derby (Monday, July 8th), and MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard (Tuesday, July 9th). The winning bidder will also receive four passes to an All-Star celebration event held on Sunday, July 7th. As an additional thank you for the winner's generosity, the winner and his or her guests will be able to watch Batting Practice for the T-Mobile Home Run Derby from the field at Progressive Field!
• Special Meet & Greets with Major League All-Stars (Mookie Betts, Christian Yelich, Mike Trout, Francisco Lindor, Shohei Ohtani, Carlos Correa, Eric Hosmer, and others) as well as Legends of the game (including Trevor Hoffman or Luis Gonzalez)
• A private tour of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum with a Royals player and the Museum's President Bob Kendrick
• Sit in the "Judge's Chambers" at Yankee Stadium and receive an autographed baseball from 2017 American League Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge
• Throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field, Angel Stadium or Fenway Park
• Play catch on the field at Wrigley Field or take batting practice at the Oakland Coliseum and Progressive Field
• Receive a hitting lesson in the White Sox batting cages with Hall of Fame-electee Harold Baines
• Play Fortnite with Twins pitcher Trevor May, have a catch on the field with the Reds' Michael Lorenzen, go golfing with Tigers' manager Ron Gardenhire or Red Sox legend Keith Foulke
• Grab lunch with the Orioles' Mychal Givens and Trey Mancini, the Diamondbacks' Eduardo Escobar, or Pirates pitcher Chris Archer
• Infield skills lessons with Braves' infield coach Ron Washington, a pitching lesson from Dodgers' pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, a hitting lesson with Nationals' hitting coach Kevin Long or a bullpen day experience with Rays' bullpen coach Stan Boroski
• Managerial experiences with Don Mattingly (Miami Marlins), Clint Hurdle (Pittsburgh Pirates), Ned Yost (Kansas City Royals), Torey Lovullo (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Craig Counsell (Milwaukee Brewers)
• Autographed baseball from San Francisco Giants legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays
• Tour of MLB Network studio where winner will meet on-air talent
• Participate in a special in-game fan entertainment with the Phillie Phanatic at Citizens Bank Park
• Win a collection of the official team-issued hats the Cardinals will wear during the 2019 season, including Spring Training, Regular Season and all specialty theme weekends
• Get the VIP treatment at Coors Field, Globe Life Park, Guaranteed Rate Field and Rogers Centre, watching batting practice from the field
• Join the Mariners social media team for a day, including pregame field access and manager interview session with Scott Servais
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.
Since its inception in 2012, the Winter Meetings Charity Auction has raised approximately $1.15 million toward a variety of causes, including cancer research, a youth baseball and softball field in memory of Shannon Forde, and a scholarship fund in memory of Katy Feeney.
The funds from the 2018 Winter Meetings Charity Auction will benefit the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars program for a student pursuing an undergraduate degree in sports administration/management. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which is geographically located right near the Kansas City Royals MLB Urban Youth Academy, will use the funds to repair extensive damages to its Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center caused by recent vandalism.
In 2016, MLB increased its financial commitment to the Jackie Robinson Foundation and expanded their programmatic partnership. MLB greatly enhanced its longstanding philanthropic support by funding 30 four-year JRF scholarships - one for each of the 30 MLB Clubs and by contributing $1 million to the Foundation's Jackie Robinson Museum project. Additionally, MLB and JRF have engaged JRF Scholars to mentor young people in MLB's youth and community partnership programs, including Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), MLB Youth Academies and MLB-supported Boys & Girls Clubs of America programs. JRF Scholars have mentored participants in these various youth programs, encouraging their young mentees to embrace educational opportunities and joined them in extra-curricular activities, such as attending MLB games with the League's support.
Historically, Major League Baseball and its Clubs have contributed nearly $20 million to the Jackie Robinson Foundation for its scholarship program and for the Jackie Robinson Museum.
In June 2017, MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) jointly contributed $1 million to the Kansas City-based Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The donation aimed to inspire future generations of underrepresented youth to play baseball by contributing toward the Museum's sustainability as the preservationists of the history of the Negro Leagues, which includes the memories and legacies of those who played. The contribution was allocated from the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, and was ear-marked to support the NLBM's operations, museum services, expansion, and educational and community programming. In particular, a portion of the funds allowed the Museum to complete the Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center on the site of the Paseo YMCA, where the original Negro Leagues charter was signed in 1920.
ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION
For 45 years, the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) has continued Robinson's commitment to equal opportunity by addressing the achievement gap in higher education, providing generous scholarship grants and comprehensive support services to minority students attending colleges throughout the country. Expanding its mission of education and Robinson's rich legacy, the Foundation will open the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City in December 2019 to chronicle Robinson's storied athletic career and his long-lasting impact across society. For more information, visit www.jackierobinson.org.
ABOUT NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL MUSEUM
Founded in the early 1990s and originally contained within a one room office in Kansas City, the Museum currently utilizes 10,000 square feet of space to preserve and tell the history of the Negro Leagues and players. The exhibit features multimedia computer stations, several film exhibits, hundreds of photographs, a replica field with 12 bronze sculptures, and a growing collection of baseball artifacts.