On September 19, Shohei Ohtani made history against the Miami Marlins when he hit his 50th home run to accompany his 50 stolen bases. The ball was just auctioned off for a record-breaking $4.329 million.
There was a scramble for the ball. The fan was offered to trade the ball to the Los Angeles Dodgers for compensation, however, he decided to walk with it. The auction was handled by Goldin, a company specializing in high-end memorabilia auctions, but not without controversy.
Fan Chris Belanski walked out of the stadium with the ball. However, After the ball went up for auction, a lawsuit was filed by Max Matus, who claimed that the baseball was taken out of his hand. A judge decided that the auction could proceed.
The ball surpassed Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball from the 1998 season in auction price. That ball sold for $3 million, according to ESPN’s Dan Hajducky.
While ownership of the ball will be disputed in a legal process, the money will sit in an account. The winner of the auction was not identified.
“Shohei Ohtani made history with this baseball, and now, with the highest sale price for any ball ever sold, this legendary piece of sports memorabilia has made history again,” Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin, said in a statement, according to Hajducky. “We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani’s impact on sports, and I’m thrilled for the winning bidder.”
Ohtani will play in his first World Series game on Friday, October 25, as the Dodgers take on the New York Yankees.
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