The baseball Shohei Ohtani hit for his 50th home run this season has sold at auction for a record-breaking price. The ball fetched an astounding $4.39 million, making it the highest price ever paid for a ball in any sport.
Ohtani, a star player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, made history last month by becoming the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. He achieved this milestone during a 20-4 victory against the Miami Marlins, where he hit three home runs on September 19. Since then, Ohtani has helped the Dodgers advance to the World Series, where they will face the New York Yankees in a best-of-seven series starting Friday evening.
The auction, managed by New Jersey-based Goldin, opened on September 27 with a starting bid of $500,000. It closed just after midnight on Wednesday. Ken Goldin, the founder and CEO of the auction house, stated, “We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani’s impact on sports. I’m thrilled for the winning bidder.” The previous record for the most expensive baseball was held by Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball, which sold for $3 million in 1999.
However, the sale is complicated by an ongoing legal dispute over the ball’s ownership. Christian Zacek claims he walked away with the ball after catching it in the left-field stands. Meanwhile, Max Matus and Joseph Davidov have filed separate lawsuits claiming they also grabbed the ball first. Matus argues that he secured the ball before Zacek took it, while Davidov states he “firmly and completely grabbed the ball in his left hand” while it was on the ground.
Despite the litigation, all parties involved agreed to proceed with the auction.
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