LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Want to chat with Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, throw out the first pitch at PNC Park then watch the game from the club level or host a party in one of Pittsburgh's suites?
Those opportunities are up for auction during baseball's annual Winter Meetings. For the sixth straight year, Major League Baseball, MLB Advanced Media, MLB Network and all 30 clubs have organized a charity auction during the offseason's most prominent industry-wide event. This year's auction will support the Katharine Feeney Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is in memory of the late pioneering baseball executive whose career spanned 40 years.
The fund will benefit a scholarship at the University of San Francisco for a female student studying sports management. The Pirates are offering three experiences in this year's auction, which is live at MLB.com/wintermeetingsauction until Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.
The first experience will give the winning bidder two tickets to a mutually agreed upon Pirates game, the opportunity to watch batting practice from the field and a meet-and-greet session with Hurdle, entering his eight season as Pittsburgh's manager.
The second experience includes a personalized Pirates jersey, four tickets in the Pirates Baseball Club seats and the chance to throw out the honorary first pitch before a game.
The third experience offers a suite at PNC Park for up to 14 people during any game other than the home opener. The package includes food, beverages and parking passes for the entire group.
The auction includes a number of other MLB and club-related items, including a 2018 MLB All-Star Experience that offers four tickets to all major events at Nationals Park during next year's Midsummer Classic, a chance to take part in Spring Training photo day alongside D-backs reliever Archie Bradley, private catching lessons with the Braves' Kurt Suzuki, lunch with Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and plenty of other VIP opportunities.
Feeney, who passed away unexpectedly in April, joined the National League office in 1977 and eventually supervised the NL's scheduling and public relations. In 2000, she began directing the construction and managing of the entire MLB schedule.
MLB also honored Feeney with the Katy Feeney Leadership Symposium during the Winter Meetings. The event was held Sunday and focused on the leadership education and advancement of female executives throughout the game.