D-backs' Putz to auction off Justin Bieber card

J.J. Putz's autographed Justin Bieber card -- found by chance in a pack given to him as a joke gift and resulting in a viral internet photo -- will be auctioned off on the Diamondbacks' official website, Putz announced Tuesday, with proceeds to benefit the charities of teammates Craig Breslow and Brad Ziegler. "Given the way I obtained this card, I think the only responsible course is to donate it to charity, said Putz. "I have the chance to raise money and awareness for two important causes. "Besides, convincing my twin girls I was better off taking them to Justin Biebers Believe Tour kickoff concert on Sept. 29 in Phoenix rather than keeping the card put me in the running for father of the year. The auction is under way at www.dbacks.comauctions and will run through July 1 at 9 p.m. Arizona time. Proceeds from the auction will be split equally between Breslows Strike 3 Foundation, which benefits research for pediatric cancer, and Zieglers Pastime For Patriots, which assists veterans and their families. As explained by FOXSportsArizona.com's Jack Magruder, it all started when Ziegler went to the Panini trading card company offices in Fort Worth, Texas, to sign an autograph contract. While touring the facility, Ziegler, a big card collector, noticed stacks of Bieber packs among the baseball, football and hockey cards. He brought some back to the D-backs' locker room as a way to lighten the mood, with Putz in particular in mind. Putz later opened a pack that contained a card with Biebers autograph, which appears about once in every 5,000 packs. A bit of research by Ziegler showed that a previous auction of a similar autographed card reached about 4,500. Ziegler tweeted a picture he took from his phone of Putz holding the Bieber card and smiling broadly, and it went viral. The D-backs have since reached out to Bieber's representatives about a visit from the pop star and his opening act, Carly Rae Jepson of "Call Me Maybe" fame, during his tour's stop in Phoenix on Sept. 29. "Its great that J.J.s case of Bieber Fever has turned out to be so beneficial for Pastime for Patriots," joked Ziegler. "All kidding aside, Im very grateful that he has decided to help share the proceeds with a cause that is close to my heart and will help the families of our soldiers serving overseas." Added Breslow, "We definitely listen to Biebs in the clubhouse and watched the viral videos for Carly Rae Jepsens song, but we were all genuinely surprised when J.J. got the Bieber autograph. I think its very noble hes teaching his daughters the importance of giving back to others, and Im honored hes chosen the Strike 3 Foundation to be the beneficiary of his generosity."