Shohei Ohtani has added another milestone to his remarkable career. The baseball from the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s 50th home run, hit on September 19 during a game against the Miami Marlins, sold for a record-breaking $4.392 million at auction.
This ball, which marked the first 50-50 season in Major League Baseball history, achieved the highest sale price for any ball across all sports. Ken Goldin, CEO of Goldin, remarked, “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.”
The previous record was held by Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball from the 1998 season, which sold for $3.005 million.
During the historic game, Ohtani went 6-for-6, hitting three home runs and driving in 10 RBIs. The notable two-run homer came off Marlins pitcher Mike Baumann.
The Dodgers attempted to secure the ball for Ohtani, reportedly offering $300,000 to the fan who caught it. However, the fan opted to auction the ball instead.
Currently, there is a dispute over the ownership of the baseball, with multiple lawsuits claiming rights to it. Although these legal matters remain unresolved, all parties have agreed to allow the ball to go to auction, with the proceeds held until a decision on ownership is reached.
