Dan Haren enjoyed a solid career as an MLB pitcher, winning 153 games for eight teams. Given the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the 39-year-old has turned his attention to helping others achieve victories, as he is auctioning 24 bobbleheads from his personal collection and designating the proceeds to go to two charities with whom he has strong connections.
To raise money for charities fighting hunger and child advocacy groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, @ithrow88 is auctioning off his personal collection of bobbleheads, complete with notes.
📚: https://t.co/yHW1MKsp0r pic.twitter.com/sco6WxXfrB
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) March 26, 2020
Through Wednesday, the three-time All-Star selection is accepting bids for the collectibles, which Sports Illustrated noted will include notes that reflect Haren’s memories from interactions with the commemorated players. He has brought in some pretty impressive money for the promo goods, with the bobblehead of New York Yankees great Derek Jeter thus far commanding the highest price at $370 and multiple offerings drawing more than 40 bids.
When interested parties end their bids, they will have done their part to help the Hollywood Food Coalition and the Children’s Action Alliance, which Haren’s family has pledged assistance to in the past and that he feels need assistance during the coronavirus outbreak.
“If this auction makes just one person laugh during this horrible time, it will have been worth it,” Haren stated.
The reflections on each immortalized player figure to bring a few chuckles, especially since the Haren represented a sizable number of franchises and interacted with many diamond dwellers in his 14-year MLB journey. We found ourselves particularly fond of his Vladimir Guerrero remembrance, through which he expressed joy that the Hall of Fame inductee did not charge the mound after Haren had plunked him, and his admission via the Albert Pujols bobblehead that the future Cooperstown member once caught him playing “Pokemon Go.”
Since the auction winners will also claim five additional bobbleheads, it will be interesting to see which commemoratives he will choose to give to them and to see how the overall act of kindness assists the aforementioned organizations. We have seen over the last two weeks a couple interesting ways that sports figures are uniting through promotional products to help with the coronavirus crisis, and while the Haren decision shows that good things indeed come in threes, we are eager to hear about more promo means that the athletic world has in mind to keep spirits high.
