Ohtani’s 50-50 Home Run Ball Goes on Auction; Record-Breaking ¥430 Million Price Tag Eyed

By Takanori Yamamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

1:00 JST, September 29, 2024

NEW YORK — The home run ball that made Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani the first player in Major League Baseball history to have 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season is up for auction as of Friday.

Bidding started at $500,000 (around ¥70 million), and all eyes are on whether it will break the record for the highest price paid for a baseball — $3.05 million (around ¥430 million).

According to auction house Goldin, the ball in question is one Ohtani hit for a two-run home run in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19. The ball features a black scuff mark believed to have come from his bat and has a hologram sticker indicating it is an official game ball. The auction is set to run through Oct. 16.

U.S. media reports said the fan who originally grabbed the ball refused a $300,000 offer from the Dodgers to purchase it, deciding instead to keep it for himself.

ESPN reported on a legal dispute over the ball, with an 18-year-old claiming he was robbed of it amidst the chaos. The fan has filed a lawsuit claiming ownership, and the court has ruled the ball cannot be sold until after a hearing scheduled for Oct. 10.

The ball Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit for his 70th homer of the 1998 season is the highest price on record paid for a baseball.