A pink bat advisory has just been issued for Major League Baseball.
Here they come again.
In fact, some of them are already here.
What began two years ago as a bold statement has grown into a full-scale baseball tradition, driving massive proceeds to the Susan G. Komen for a Cure foundation to fight breast cancer. It is now officially and dramatically how Major League Baseball celebrates each Mother's Day, and before we get to all of those players who will be swinging pink bats on May 11, there is an opportunity right now to be involved.
Bidding is under way through May 14 at the MLB.com Auction for seven signed pink Louisville Sluggers. Three of them bear the autographs of Yankees stars Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and who knows what any of these pieces of memorabilia could be worth one day, as all three players are well on their way to Cooperstown.
The other four are each signed by a different member of ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" crew -- Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, Chris Cuomo and Sam Champion. Roberts, 47, who was diagnosed with breast cancer less than a year ago, went to Yankee Stadium to tape what should be a pretty powerful segment on those three Yankees -- it aired Monday on "Good Morning America."
In a USA Weekend article, all of them agreed to participate in advance of Mother's Day, as all proceeds from this special auction go to the Komen fund.
"It's fantastic that these world-class athletes are involved in an initiative like this," Roberts, who recently finished chemotherapy and radiation treatments, told the newspaper. "It helps bring attention to the problem."
Of course, this is just the prelude to the pink-bat efforts. Hundreds of players again will wield these around Major League ballparks on Mother's Day, with everyone from players to batmakers to moms and all fans focused on the bigger picture.
"It's about bringing awareness to breast cancer and raising money for research so we can stop cancer and save lives," said John A. Hillerich IV, the president and CEO of Hillerich & Bradsby Co., manufacturers of Louisville Sluggers for the past 124 years.
"It's a great cause, a great idea," said Jeter, whose sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and is now cancer-free, of the pink-bat tradition. "I hope they raise a lot of money."
They will, because they must.
According to komen.org, an estimated 182,460 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2008 alone. In 1975, the number was 107 per 100,000 for caucasian women and 94 per 100,000 for African-American women. Twenty-nine years later, in 2004, the number of new cases per year had risen, to 128 per 100,000 and 119 per 100,000, respectively.
The five-year survival rate for all women diagnosed with breast cancer is 90 percent. This means that 90 out of every 100 women with breast cancer will survive without a recurrence for at least five years. Most will live a full life and never have a recurrence. The chances of surviving are better if the cancer is detected early, before it spreads to other parts of your body. In fact, when breast cancer is confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent.
These are not the kinds of statistics you normally go looking for at MLB.com, but these are the kinds of statistics you are going to hear about around the game. Those diagnosed include mothers of players, relatives, fans -- people in the baseball family, people you very well may know. Baseball as an institution can make a positive difference, and the pink bats have become a symbolic means of doing just that.
The concept originated during a visit Hillerich made to Louisville Slugger's sister company, Canada-based TPS Hockey, in March 2006. TPS Hockey had made pink hockey sticks for players in the NHL, and more than $100,000 was raised during the weekend those sticks were used.
Hillerich returned to Louisville smitten with the idea and presented it to MLB officials. Even though it was shockingly different -- and "different" doesn't always fly with fans -- this was a no-brainer. Still, no one could have imagined how popular it would become. Each of the last two years, the pink bats that were used and signed by players -- as well as team-signed pink bats and team-signed home plates -- were listed at the MLB.com Auction. All proceeds went to Komen, and bidding was wild.
Last year there was a huge increase in the number of players who swung pink bats for at least part of their games. Expect even more this time. The breast-cancer-awareness theme will be carried throughout the Mother's Day games, including pink-ribbon logos on bases, uniform patches, pink wristbands, commemorative home plates, pink merchandise and pink dugout lineup cards. There also will be designated fan "Pinked Out Zones" at certain stadiums to celebrate this special day -- examples of baseball's salute to mothers and the overall commitment to raising awareness of breast cancer and seek a cure.
After the May 11 games, be on the lookout at the MLB.com Auction, because all of those incredible keepsakes will be there again, your chance to make a difference. Thanks to those three Yankees and the GMA crew, Project Pink already is under way again.
"We expected that this would be something that would draw a lot of interest," Hillerich said two years ago, at the inception, "but it has far exceeded our expectations. It is wild around here. People are calling, wanting to buy a pink bat. It's crazy. The good thing is that it's drawing attention to the cause."
In addition to bidding on the seven signed pink bats up for auction, fans can "Go to Bat Against Breast Cancer" and make a donation at komen.org.
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