Shohei Ohtani made history last month by becoming the first MLB player to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The home run ball that marked this achievement has now set a new record of its own.
Auction prize
On Tuesday night, Goldin Auctions revealed that the ball sold for an astonishing $4.392 million, significantly exceeding the previous record of $3.05 million set in 1999 for Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball. This total includes a winning bid of $3.6 million plus a 22% buyer's premium. As for who will ultimately benefit from the sale, that decision lies in the hands of the courts.
Ohtani hit this milestone during the seventh inning of a 20-4 victory against the Miami Marlins on September 19. A chaotic scene unfolded in left-center field as fans scrambled for the historic ball, with Florida resident Christian Zacek emerging as the one who secured it. Just days later, Goldin Auctions announced the ball would be available for bidding starting September 27.
Lawsuit
On September 26, Max Matus from Broward County filed a lawsuit in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court, claiming ownership of the ball and seeking an injunction to stop Zacek, fellow resident Kelvin Ramirez, and Goldin Auctions from selling it. In response to Matus's emergency injunction, a judge allowed the auction to proceed but ordered that the defendants could not sell, hide, or transfer the ball until the court ruled on Matus’s motion. The bidding commenced at $500,000.
Another lawsuit was filed the next day by Joseph Davidov, also a Broward County resident, claiming ownership of the ball and naming Matus, Zacek, Ramirez, and Goldin Auctions as defendants. Recently, Zacek, Matus, and Davidov agreed to let Goldin Auctions continue with the sale while the courts determine who will receive the proceeds. Goldin Auctions and Ramirez have since been dismissed as defendants in both lawsuits.
According to their agreement, the proceeds from the sale will be placed into an account while the legal matters are resolved.
Shohei Ohtani's 2024 MLB statistics showcase his exceptional dual-threat capabilities as both a hitter and a pitcher. Here are the key highlights from his season so far.
Batting Statistics
Games Played: 159
Plate Appearances: 731
Batting Average: .310
Home Runs: 54
Runs Batted In (RBIs): 134
Stolen Bases: 10
On-base Percentage (OBP): .391
Slugging Percentage (SLG): .610
On-base Plus Slugging (OPS): 1.001
Pitching Statistics
Games Started: 29
Win-Loss Record: 11–5
Earned Run Average (ERA): 3.30
Innings Pitched: 139.3
Strikeouts: 157
Walks: 51
WHIP (Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched): 1.08
He will now be seen in action in the World Series game against New York Yankees on 26 October.
