MLB auction raises more than $150K for SU2C

By Mark Newman / MLB.com | 12/07/12 1:47 AM ET

Hunter Pence never had to give an inspirational and wild-eyed speech this time. All he had to do was invite someone to have breakfast with him and help end cancer.

After leading his team to the World Series title, the Giants' right fielder was leading the way again in Major League Baseball as the clock struck midnight on Friday morning. Breakfast with Hunter Pence drew one of the highest prices and among the most bids in a special MLB.com Auction during the Winter Meetings that raised $152,700 for Stand Up To Cancer.

"Thanks to the fans, MLB and Stand Up To Cancer for your contributions," Pence said in a text late Thursday, as bidders jockeyed for the coolest breakfast anywhere. "This is a wonderful way to make an impact and thank you all for making it possible."

His was one of 78 items listed in the auction, attracting 1,809 total bids or just more than 23 bids per listing. The last-minute bidding at the auction was epic, with Pence's breakfast suddenly passed at closing time for the most overall bids and highest sale price. The most bids for an item were 70 for the Padres' contribution of a private baserunning and fielding lesson at PETCO Park from their coach Dave Roberts -- a cancer survivor himself -- and four game tickets. The top sale listing was the Yankees' PR internship for a day, commanding $8,125.

The auction's stunning success and creative energy was largely the collaboration by all 30 Major League club public-relations directors and their staffs -- individuals who have had enough of cancer diagnoses among co-workers and friends through the years. The auction kicked off with a news conference Monday at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., with all the PR staffers in attendance standing up with MLB and SU2C personnel in a show of solidarity against the disease.

"It is incredible to know so much money has been raised for Stand Up To Cancer through this auction," said Baltimore Orioles public relations director Monica Barlow, whose own battle with lung cancer was one of the reasons club PR departments were inspired to create the auction. "The only way we will be able to reduce cancer mortality rates is through funding for research that organizations like SU2C provide. I am a living example of the impact newly developed drugs can have, and as a member of MLB's PR family I am truly grateful for each team's generosity and eagerness to participate in this initiative."

Barlow's Orioles contributed one of the most bid-on items: A chance to ride on the team bus to Nationals Park for an Interleague game next season. And speaking of the Nationals, they drew more than $5,000 for a chance to actually be in their war room when general manager Mike Rizzo and the club make their first-round pick on June 6 in the First-Year Player Draft.

Pence was among the many Giants and Tigers players who joined at the top of the dugouts during the World Series Game 1 live stadium event at AT&T Park, as everyone stood and held SU2C placards with names of people who have been affected by cancer. It was easy to imagine players being among those eagerly behind this auction effort, easy to imagine fans getting behind the effort, and indeed they were from start to finish.

If you missed out on that Mike Trout meet-and-greet package, then the good news is, there are other Trout items to bid on now that this auction has closed. There is a simple autographed batting helmet as well as one he signed with the inscription "2012 AL ROY."

Someone now looks forward to a 30-minute guitar lesson from Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo. One lucky bidder now gets a private tour of the Rockies' Coors Field clubhouse by Troy Tulowitzki.

Meet-and-greets or unique experiences were donated by current or former All-Stars galore. Now that we know David Wright is staying in New York as a member of the Mets, there is a good chance that the winning bidder of a Mets experience will get to know him next season. One of the most-bid-on items was a chance to take batting practice with the Mets in the indoor batting cage at Citi Field, after which the winner gets to meet numerous players like Wright, watch regular BP from the field, get four tickets to the game and a message on the Citi Field scoreboard.

The event at MLB.com/SU2CAuction included participation via meet-and-greet and/or autographed items from 16 Hall of Famers: Hank Aaron, Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven, Orlando Cepeda, Andre Dawson, Carlton Fisk, Al Kaline, Tommy Lasorda, Juan Marichal, Willie Mays, Bill Mazeroski, Willie McCovey, Tony Perez, Gaylord Perry, Jim Rice and Nolan Ryan. Someone even won a meet-and-great with Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully of the Dodgers.

You can still help by donating at SU2C.org. One in every two men and one in every three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, as things stand now.

"I can't believe the creativity that went into these," SU2C co-founder Sue Schwartz said. "This just takes my breath away, all the support of the PR staffs and the individual teams. MLB has been enormously supportive of Stand Up To Cancer since day one, not only financially, but from a marketing perspective, and to see the teams come through like this and see the PR people pull all these amazing experiences together is just awe-inspiring. This means Stand Up To Cancer has really penetrated the whole ethos of MLB, and we are so grateful."

MLB was a founding sponsor of Stand Up To Cancer in 2008, with Commissioner Bud Selig and wife Sue Selig leading the way in financial and awareness support. Eight dream teams of scientists have been organized as one of the results, and Schwartz said the auction had "the added benefit of contributing to the critically needed research that has to be done to make cancer a disease people can live with instead of die from."

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. Read and join other baseball fans on his MLB.com community blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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