Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 home run ball has become the talking point in Major League Baseball (MLB) after a fan filed a lawsuit over the rights to the ball. The iconic ball will be up for auction at the Goldins Auctions and the initial bids have even started.
Why did the fan file the lawsuit?
Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to record a 50-50 season and this feat was achieved against Miami Marlins, where Ohtani managed to hit three home runs and drove in 10 runs.
The second home run for Ohtani fell in the left field stands, where Marlins fan Max Matus was present as he came along with his dad for his 18th birthday. Max along with other fans rushed towards the ball.
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According to the lawsuit filed by Matus, he was able to 'successfully grab' the ball before an older man named Chris Belanski. Chris allegedly trapped his legs around Matus' arms and took away the ball from him.
Matus later on tried to ask for the ball and in return, he only got a high five from Chris. The Goldin Auctions got the ball from Chris Belanski and his friend Kelvin Ramirez. The auction house was contacted through Instagram and they sent a security guard along with a representative. They finally got the ball and flew it out of Miami.
The Goldin Auctions is going ahead with the auction
The first hearing of the lawsuit is set to take place on October 10th. There was an attempt made to even stop the auction but it was later on denied by a judge.
"We are aware of the case that has been filed. Having reviewed the allegations and images included in the lawsuit, and publicly available video from the game, Goldin plans to go live with the auction of the Ohtani 50/50 ball," the statement from Goldin Auctions.
The action started with $500,000 as the initial bid but since 27th September, Friday, the price has gone up to $720,000. It is also the fifth-highest bid baseball has ever received in history.
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