Shohei Ohtani hits his 50th home run of the season with a two-run blast.
1:00 JST, September 29, 2024
NEW YORK – The home run ball that made Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani the first player in Major League Baseball history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season will be auctioned starting Friday.
Bidding started at $500,000 (about ¥70 million), and all eyes are on whether this will break the record for the highest price paid for a baseball: $3.05 million (about ¥430 million).
According to auction house Goldin, the ball in question is one Ohtani hit for a two-run home run in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins on September 19. The ball has a black scuff mark that is believed to be from his bat. a hologram sticker indicating that it is an official match ball. The auction runs until October 16.
According to American media reports, the fan who originally took the ball declined a $300,000 offer from the Dodgers to purchase the ball, instead deciding to keep the ball for himself.
ESPN reported on a legal dispute over the ball, with an 18-year-old claiming he was robbed of it amid the chaos. The fan has filed a lawsuit claiming ownership, and the court has ruled that the ball cannot be sold until after a hearing scheduled for October 10.
The ball that Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit for his 70th home run of the 1998 season is the highest price ever paid for a baseball.
