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Auction for HR No. 50

The Red Sox sent the following release regarding David Ortiz' 50th home run ball:

David Ortiz has decided to make good use of the baseball he hit for his 50th home run Wednesday night---raising money for charity.

The Red Sox slugger announced today that the baseball will be put in an on-line auction on redsox.com. The proceeds received from the winning bid will be donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Plaza de la Salud Hospital de Niños, which is located in Ortiz’ hometown of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The on-line auction begins at 11:00 a.m. EDT, tomorrow, Friday, September 22. The bidding will close at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, September 26.

Interested participants should go to www.redsox.com and click the Ortiz auction link on the home page.

“I appreciate all the support and congratulations I have received,” commented Ortiz, who has tied Boston’s club record of 50 home runs in a season set by Jimmie Foxx in 1938. “It was an exciting moment for me, and I want to share it with the fans and these great charitable causes.”

The individual making the winning bid will also have the opportunity to be the guest of the Red Sox at one of the games during the final series of the 2006 season at Fenway Park, September 29-October 1 versus the Baltimore Orioles and receive the baseball personally in a pre-game ceremony from Ortiz, who will autograph it.