Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 home run ball sold for $4,392,00 after a late bidding rally ran the auction past midnight to close early Wednesday morning and set a record for the most paid for a sports ball, according to Golding Auctions, which hosted the event. The identity of the winner was not announced.
Goldin Auctions posted the ball for auction on Sept. 27, nine days after Ohtani became the first MLB player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a season. The opening bid was for $500,000, rising to $1.2 million some 30 hours later. Bidding picked up again on Oct. 3, two days before the Dodgers began their pennant chase against the San Diego Padres in the NLDS. The ball crossed the $2 million threshold just after midnight on Tuesday.
More from Sportico.com
Possession of the ball was disputed, with lawsuits filed by different individuals claiming ownership. On Oct. 18, lawyers for Christian Zacek announced they have made an agreement with the two other claimants in which the ball would be sold free and clear of legal claims against the future buyer.
Prior to the auction close, Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions, said he made a proposal to the lawyers representing the other claimants. “Are they interested in owning the ball, or are they interested in owning the money that comes from the ball?,” Goldin asked in an phone interview. “And if they’re interested in owning the money that comes from the ball, would they rather own something that is maybe $500,000 or they rather own something that is $5 million or some percentage of $5 million? Because if you guys put a cloud over this ball, it is going to hurt the sale.”
How Ohtani performs in the World Series against the New York Yankees—a Fall Classic billed as a “dream series”—could bode well for any potential postseason collectibles. “He is by far the most popular paid player in baseball,” Goldin said. “He is by far the most marketable player in baseball worldwide. In Japan, he’s a god. Any of his game-use bats, any home run balls, any jerseys, game-used caps, really, everything that he touched on the field during his run to a championship will be of extraordinary value and extraordinary interest to us.”
Entering the World Series, Ohtani has a slash line of .286/.434./.500 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and 11 walks. (He has yet to steal a base, having been caught once.) Against the New York Mets in the six-game NLCS, the two-time AL MVP found his groove at the plate with a slash line of .364/.548/.646 and an OPS of 1.185.
Best of Sportico.com
Sign up for Sportico’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
