Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking 50/50 ball scores $4.39M at auction

Oct 23, 2024

Jack Aylmer Anchor/Reporter

By Jack Aylmer (Anchor/Reporter), Shea Taylor (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50th home run ball sold at auction for a record-breaking $4.39 million Tuesday, Oct. 22, despite being at the center of ongoing legal battles. The record-breaking auction comes days before Ohtani is set to play in the first game of the World Series.

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The auction for the LA Dodger’s baseball, which made history as the first 50-homer, 50-stolen base player in MLB history, shattered the record for most expensive baseball ever auctioned – beating Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball. That ball sold for just over $3 million in 1999.

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The sale also came despite ongoing litigation playing out in Florida, where two different people have filed lawsuits claiming they caught the ball first. However, it ultimately ended up in the hands of the fan who put it up for auction.

Shohei Ohtani's 50/50 home run ball sold for a record-breaking $4.39 million, per @GoldinCo.

It's now the most expensive ball of all time. 💰 pic.twitter.com/90aeLV4qVP
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 23, 2024

It doesn’t matter who ends up hitting a home run in the lawsuits, though. The ball will still be pitched to the anonymous person who won Tuesday’s bidding war because the auction house said “all parties” claiming ownership of the baseball agreed on the sale.

Meanwhile, Ohtani and the Dodgers are gearing up for Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees on Friday, Oct. 25.

Tags: Auction, baseball, Lawsuit, Los Angeles, MLB, New York City, Sports, sports memorabilia, St. Louis

[Jack]

SHOHEI OHTANI’S HISTORIC 50-TH HOME RUN BALL SOLD AT AUCTION FOR 4 POINT 39 MILLION DOLLARS… A RECORD-BREAKING AMOUNT – DESPITE BEING AT THE CENTER OF ONGOING LEGAL BATTLES.

THE AUCTION FOR THE LA DODGER’S BASEBALL – WHICH MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST 50-HOMER, 50-STOLEN BASE PLAYER IN M-L-B HISTORY ENDED TUESDAY NIGHT.

IT SHATTERS THE RECORD FOR MOST EXPENSIVE BASEBALL EVER AUCTIONED – BEATING MARK MCGWIRE’S 70-TH HOME RUN BALL, WHICH SOLD FOR JUST OVER 3 MILLION DOLLARS IN 19-99.

THE SALE ALSO CAME DESPITE ONGOING LITIGATION PLAYING OUT IN FLORIDA… WHERE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE FILED LAWSUITS CLAIMING THEY CAUGHT THE BALL FIRST… BEFORE IT ULTIMATELY ENDED UP IN THE HANDS OF THE FAN WHO PUT IT UP FOR AUCTION.

BUT NO MATTER WHO ENDS UP HITTING A HOME RUN IN THE LAWSUITS… THE BALL *WILL* STILL BE PITCHED TO THE ANONYMOUS PERSON WHO WON TUESDAY’S BIDDING WAR.

THAT’S BECAUSE THE AUCTION HOUSE SAYS “ALL PARTIES” CLAIMING OWNERSHIP OF THE BASEBALL AGREED ON THE SALE.

MEANWHILE, OHTANI AND THE DODGERS ARE GEARING UP FOR GAME ONE OF THE WORLD SERIES AGAINST THE NEW YORK YANKEES ON FRIDAY.