Shohei Ohtani's 50/50 ball auctioned off for all-time record $4.39M
Shohei Ohtani's home run ball that clinched the first 50/50 season in MLB history was auctioned off for a record $4.39 million on Tuesday night.
Shohei Ohtani's unprecedented piece of history has set a record of its own.
Last month, Ohtani became the only player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
The two-way superstar accomplished the feat with perhaps the greatest offensive performance ever in a single game, when he went 6-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBI and two stolen bases. He entered the game with 48 homers and 49 swiped bags.
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The home run ball, which was hit in Miami, was auctioned off through Goldin Auctions, and it was sold on Tuesday night for $4,392,000, the most ever for a baseball.
"Shohei Ohtani made history with this baseball, and now, with the highest sale price for any ball ever sold, this legendary piece of sports memorabilia has made history again," Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin, said in a statement. "We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani's impact on sports, and I'm thrilled for the winning bidder."
The price for Ohtani's ball shatters the previous record of $3 million that Todd McFarlane paid for Mark McGwire's 70th home run in 1998.
There has been a legal battle as to who the rightful owner of the ball is, as there was a battle in the outfield seats. Christian Zacek walked out of Miami’s LoanDepot Park with the ball after gaining possession in the left-field stands, but Max Matus and Joseph Davidov each claim in separate lawsuits that they grabbed the ball first.
Despite the legal battles, all parties agreed that the ball should be auctioned off.
Ohtani's ball is also nearly triple what Aaron Judge's 62nd home run in 2022 sold for. The person who caught that ball initially turned down $3 million, but then it was sold for half that. It is now the third-most expensive baseball ever.
Ohtani and Judge face off in this year's World Series that begins on Friday.
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