Ohtani's legendary 50th homerun ball smashed records, fetching a jaw-dropping $4.392 million at auction
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball from this MLB season sold at auction for $4.392 million, including the buyer’s premium, setting a new record for the most expensive ball in sports history.
Previously, the most costly baseball was Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball from the 1998 MLB season, which was purchased for $3 million in early 1999 by Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn.
Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball solidified his place in baseball history as the only player to ever surpass 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season. The ball was consigned to Goldin Auctions, where it became one of the most highly anticipated modern memorabilia items.
Photos on Goldin’s website feature the game-used ball with its MLB scuffs, along with the MLB Authentication hologram number “431048” and validation code “WSG.”
The auction kicked off on September 27 with a starting bid of $500,000 and ended just after midnight on Wednesday. The auction house declined to reveal details about the winning bidder, but the ongoing legal battle over the ball’s rightful owner clouded the event.
Christian Zacek left Miami’s LoanDepot Park with the ball after catching it in the left-field stands. However, both Max Matus and Joseph Davidov have filed separate lawsuits, each asserting they were the first to grab the ball.
Matus, in his lawsuit, states that while celebrating his 18th birthday, he was the first to take hold of the ball before Zacek snatched it away. Meanwhile, Davidov claims he was able to “firmly and completely grab the ball in his left hand while it was on the ground, successfully obtaining possession of the 50/50 ball.”
Despite the legal turmoil, all parties agreed to proceed with the auction.
Meanwhile, Ohtani and the Dodgers are gearing up for Game 1 of the World Series, scheduled for Friday night.
READ MORE: Shohei Ohtani vs. Aaron Judge: A Historic MLB World Series Showdown of 50-Homer Sluggers
Image Credit: © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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