Blue Jays go to bat for Stand Up To Cancer

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Blue Jays are offering up a rare on-field experience for fans in an attempt to help raise funds for Major League Baseball's Stand Up To Cancer campaign.

Fans have an opportunity to secure a spot as an honorary member of the club's Grounds Crew. The high bidder in this week's auction will be able to experience what it's like to run onto a Major League diamond and work alongside some of baseball's best athletes.

The package is one in a series of items up for bid this week. Major League teams have offered up a lot of memorabilia and special experiences to bring some much-needed funds to the fight against cancer. Toronto's highlights include several items from center fielder Colby Rasmus and right-hander Sergio Santos.

Baseball's Winter Meetings this week include an MLB.com Auction to benefit Stand Up To Cancer, which MLB has supported since 2008 as founding sponsor. Public relations representatives from all 30 clubs were inspired to act based on individual club members impacted by the disease, and they jointly organized the auction, which will be officially announced at a news conference on Monday in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with MLB staff.

Bidding closes at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday with 80 baseball-related experiences ranging from private pitching and batting lessons with players to lunches with general managers to team bus rides and meet-and-greets with Hall of Fame players.

There are 20 Blue Jays jerseys up for grabs. The highlights include an authenticated Rasmus game-used alternate jersey with a starting bid of $350. There also are authenticated game-used jerseys from Esmil Rogers, Josh Thole and Neil Wagner.

Another item up for grabs is a package of Toronto preseason medias. The bidding starts at $60, and unlike the other items, will remain open until Dec. 18. All of the other bids end on Wednesday night so you'll have to act fast to support a good cause and secure a rare item or two.