Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball sells for whopping $4,392,000, breaks record for most expensive ball in any sport
In September, Shohei Ohtani hit his 50th home run in a game against the Miami Marlins, entering the exclusive 50/50 club. The ball that ended up in the stands at LoanDepot Park was sold for a record price on Tuesday.
According to Goldin Auctions, Ohtani's 50th home run ball was sold for $4,392,000, the highest sale price of any ball of any sport.
The previous record was Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball, which was sold for $3.005 million in 1999. Ohtani's home run ball bested that price by a whopping $1.38 million.
As per Yahoo Sports, the auction started on Sept. 27 with $500,000 as a starting bid. Eventually, 40 bids were registered, with 15 coming on the final day.
Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run was part of the night where he went 6-for-6 with three home runs and 10 RBIs, resulting in a 20-4 win over the Marlins. The Dodgers slugger ended his regular season with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, marking one of the best offensive seasons in MLB history.
Lawsuits surrounding rightful owner of Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball
There was a frenzy among fans when Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball hit the stands.
While Christian Zacek, initially identified as Chris Belanski in the lawsuits, claimed to be the rightful owner coming out of the ballpark and then signing a contract with Goldin to auction it off, Max Matus and Joseph Davidov filed separate lawsuits each claiming to be the rightful owner.
“The contract with Goldin to sell the ball is with Christian Zacek,” Matus’ attorney John Uustal said in a statement. “It is apparently the same person at the ballpark, who may have been listed as Belanski at the stadium.
“He has been difficult to identify and track down at least since a few days after the game. But regardless, the court now has control over the proceeds of the auction, and our lawsuit is against Zacek who signed the contract with Goldin.”
According to AP News, all the parties have agreed for the auction to proceed.
“This agreement provides certainty to potential buyers that the historic 50/50 baseball will be sold free and clear of any legal claims to the baseball against the future buyer,” Zacek’s attorneys said in a statement.
“We believe that this agreement reflects all parties’ recognition of this monumental achievement and will allow the full value of this historic 50/50 baseball to be fully recognized at the auction.”
Max Matus claimed in his lawsuit that he had the ball in his possession before Zacek clinched it away. Meanwhile, Joseph Davidov had complete control of the ball in his left hand and is seeking $50,000 in damages.