Shohei Ohtani's 50th Home Run Ball Sells For Record $4.4 Million
As Shohei Ohtani and his Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to start the World Series, a baseball he hit into the stands on September 19th sold for $4,392,000.
Of course, that ball wasn't just any ball. It secured the first 50/50 -- that's 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases -- season in MLB history.
The person who left the stadium with the ball that night, Chris Belanski, turned down a $300,000 offer for the ball from the Dodgers.
Belanski instead decided to auction the ball through Goldin. Within days, a young man named Max Matus, who was involved in the physical battle for the ball in the stands, began a legal battle for the ball and filed a lawsuit for it. A judge ruled that the auction could continue, and the legal battle would be over the resulting money. A third fan, Joseph Davidov, subsequently filed another lawsuit, also claiming ownership.
The highest-selling ball previously was the one Mark McGwire hit for a then-MLB record 70th home run in 1998. Comic book artist Todd MacFarlane paid $3.05 million for that ball in 1999. He also owns other record-setting home run balls, and said he was interested in Ohtani's. No word yet on if he placed any bids.
“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,” said Ken Goldin, Founder and CEO of Goldin. “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.”
If Ohtani wins his first World Series in the coming weeks, will we see the ball change hands again in a quick flip for profit?
Mike runs the hobby YouTube channel Junk Wax Hero, where he talks about a lot of different aspects of the hobby from a collector’s perspective. His most popular series is Attic Find Friday. He also writes a free weekly hobby recap newsletter at junkwaxhero.com. It’s a cliche, but his favorite card is the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.