Yanks auctioning off once-in-a-lifetime experiences

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A meet-and-greet with Brian McCann, a pregame visit to watch batting practice from the field with manager Joe Girardi and an Alex Rodriguez autographed batting helmet are among the items up for bidding as part of the Winter Meetings charity auction.

This auction initiative has raised nearly $500,000 since its inception four years ago, and a significant portion of the proceeds from this year's event will go to Stand Up To Cancer, a longtime partner of Major League Baseball, its founding donor in 2008.

In addition, this year's auction will benefit Do It For Durrett, in honor of the late Texas Rangers ESPN.com reporter Richard Durrett, who passed away suddenly last year, and the YouCaring page established for Miami Marlins Sun Sentinel beat writer Juan C. Rodriguez, who is currently battling a brain tumor.

The McCann meet-and-greet package includes four tickets to a mutually agreed upon Yankee Stadium game during the 2016 regular season, plus four passes to watch batting practice on the field, as well as a pair of batting gloves and a bat from McCann.

Girardi's meet-and-greet package includes four tickets to a mutually agreed upon Yankee Stadium game during the 2016 regular season, four passes to watch batting practice on the field and one copy of that game's lineup card, autographed by Girardi.

The winning bidder of Rodriguez's auction item will receive an autographed Yankees batting helmet, with "#13" and "3x MVP" written on it by the three-time American League Most Valuable Player Award winner.