Auction of baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 ball goes on, despite ownership battle

LOS ANGELES – The owner of the ball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his historic 50th homer of 2024 remains in dispute, but the souvenir will continue to be auctioned off while legal proceedings continue.

Goldin Auctions announced on Oct 7 that the lawyers for the fans who are

arguing over the ball’s rightful owner

agreed to let the auction continue. With another two weeks to go in the auction, the latest top bid was US$1.5 million (S$2 million), which would see the buyer paying more than US$1.8 million when the auction house’s fee is included.

The ball has significant value because of its place in baseball history: When that ball cleared the fence at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Sept 19, Ohtani became the first player

to amass 50 homers and 50 stolen bases

in the same year. The Los Angeles Dodgers star ended the regular Major League Baseball season with 54 homers and 59 steals.

After the ball landed in the left field stands as Ohtani hit the historic home run in a 20-4 win over the Miami Marlins, Chris Belanski wound up with it, and he is the one who initiated the auction. However, two other fans, Max Matus and Joseph Davidov, subsequently filed separate lawsuits alleging that they had possession of the ball before it was taken from them.

In the lawsuit, Matus contends he grabbed the ball in his left hand after it went over the left field fence. It was briefly in his possession before a man identified as Belanski “wrapped his legs around Max’s arm and used his hands to wrangle the ball out of Max’s hand, stealing the ball for himself”.

The filing includes photos taken by other fans that Matus contends support his claim, including one that shows Belanski showing off the ball in front of a stunned Matus.

Davidov’s attorney, Devon Workman, told Front Office Sports on Oct 7: “Parties have agreed to let the sale proceed and then the parties will continue to litigate over ownership over the final proceeds of the sale.”

Goldin said in a statement, according to ESPN, that “all parties want the 50-50 ball to be auctioned by Goldin, and have agreed to convey any and all of their ownership interests in the 50-50 ball to the winner of the auction, giving the winner full assurance that they will receive free and clear title to the 50-50 ball.”

The record price for a baseball is US$3 million, which was paid for the ball Mark McGwire hit for his 70th homer in 1998.

Ohtani joined the Dodgers late in 2023 on

a 10-year deal worth US$700 million

– the richest contract in American sport history.

His first year with the team has been even more eventful than anyone could have imagined, taking in marriage and

a stunning theft scandal.

REUTERS, AFP