Shohei Ohtani 50-50 baseball sells for record-breaking $5.8 million
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani looks on after hitting his 50th homerun of the season on Sept 19.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES – The ball hit by Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani for his 50th home run of the season was sold for a record-breaking US$4.39 million (S$5.8 million), auction house Goldin said on Oct 23.
The home run saw the Los Angeles Dodgers star become the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in the same season.
“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 chief executive officer of the auction house, said in a statement to ESPN.
“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.”
The identity of the buyer has not been revealed, and the ball’s rightful ownership is currently subject to a legal battle, with the auction going ahead after an agreement was reached with the claimants in the Florida lawsuits.
The record price for a baseball was previously the US$3 million paid for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball of 1998.
Ohtani’s 50th home run of the season came during the Dodgers’ 20-4 rout of the Marlins in Miami on Sept 19.
He went six-for-six with three homers and two steals to help the Dodgers clinch a post-season berth that would mark Ohtani’s first trip to the MLB play-offs.
The 30-year-old finished the regular season with 54 homers and 59 stolen bases.
The Dodgers went on to make the World Series against the New York Yankees, with Game 1 at Dodger Stadium on Oct 25.
The excitement for the best-of-seven showpiece, unfortunately, has taken a back seat for now, following the death of their former star Fernando Valenzuela at the age of 63 on Oct 22. No cause of death was given.
The Mexican pitcher played 17 seasons in MLB for six clubs, but was best remembered for his time with the Dodgers, particularly for his role in the 1981 World Series that helped the Dodgers turn the tide against the Yankees, who had won the first two games.
The Dodgers won the next three games to take the series.
His performances in that season and the excitement it caused became known as “Fernandomania” and attracted a large Mexican fan base to the LA team.
He was the first and only player in MLB history to win National League Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award as top pitcher in the same season.
He led the National League in strikeouts, shutouts, complete games, innings pitched and starts in 1981.
He retired from the game after the 1997 season but, six years later, returned to the Dodgers as a broadcaster. AFP, REUTERS