Who caught the million dollar ball?
Fans fight over millions: record ball brings record sums
October 23, 2024, 10:09 a.m
Shohei Ohtani is the biggest star Major League Baseball has to offer. The Japanese smashes records and is now making a fan rich – but which one? In any case, a ball that Ohtani hit out of the field brings in millions of dollars.
Record sum for a record ball: The ball with which baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani hit his <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/04/mlb-summary-of-april-10-games-in-the-national-league/" title="MLB: summary of April 10 games in the national league”>50th home run of the season has been auctioned off. As the Goldin auction house announced, the historic ball fetched 4.39 million dollars (4.06 million euros). With the hit, the Japanese became the first player in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season.
“The baseball offered here is a truly unique specimen and the crowning achievement of any collection of game-used memorabilia,” the ball’s description reads. “The baseball shows excellent wear, with black scratches and surface abrasions on the white leather surface.” The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly offered the fan who caught the historic ball behind left field $300,000 for the collectible – but he turned it down.
Who does the ball belong to?
However, it is not yet clear who will ultimately receive what from the million-dollar proceeds: the auction has been temporarily interrupted because it is still being clarified who is the rightful catcher of the ball. In the meantime, two lawsuits had been filed that were supposed to decide on ownership. A fan claims in his lawsuit that he was able to “firmly and completely grasp the ball with his left hand while lying on the ground, successfully gaining possession of the 50/50 ball .”
The lawsuit continues: “An unknown fan unlawfully jumped over the railing, jumped on Plaintiff and his arm, and attacked Plaintiff, causing the 50/50 ball to become dislodged and into the hands of Defendant (who eventually got the ball into the auction – editor’s note) rolled.”
“More muscular older man”
In the first lawsuit, a fan who celebrated his 18th birthday at the game filed a claim of ownership. He “successfully picked up the 50/50 ball in his left hand and intended to keep it,” the lawsuit says. “Unfortunately, a few seconds later, the defendant (who ultimately put the ball in the auction – editor’s note) – a muscular older man – trapped the plaintiff’s arm between his legs and ripped the 50/50 ball out of his left hand Hand.”
Those involved in the legal dispute agreed during a hearing that the auction should go ahead as planned. Meanwhile, the process continues.
The previous record was from 1998, when the ball with which Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run in a season cost $3.05 million (€2.82 million).
Record man Ohtani founded the “50-50 club” on September 19th when his Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Miami Marlins 20-4. The 30-year-old and his team are now in the World Series, the final of Major League Baseball. The Dodgers will meet the New York Yankees there starting Friday.
