Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball has sold at auction for nearly $4.4 million—though who the ball belonged to originally isn't exactly clear. Regardless, the item fetched a record high price not just for a baseball, but for any ball in any sport, the auctioneer said Wednesday. Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a season, reaching the milestone on Sept. 19 when the Los Angeles Dodgers star hit his second of three homers against the Marlins, reports the AP.
"We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani's impact on sports," Ken Goldin, the founder and CEO of auctioneer Goldin Auctions said in a statement. No information was provided about the winning bidder. The BBC reports the previous top price ever paid for a baseball was the $3 million that Mark McGwire's record-breaking ball from the 1998 MLB season sold for in 1999. Those who are feeling left out can still bid on Ohtani's 51st home run ball, which he also hit on Sept. 19, reports NBC News.
As for the 50-50 ball, its auction has been overshadowed by the litigation over ownership of the ball. Christian Zacek walked out of Miami's LoanDepot Park with the ball after gaining possession in the left-field stands. Max Matus and Joseph Davidov each claim in separate lawsuits that they grabbed the ball first. All the parties involved in the litigation agreed that the auction should continue. Matus' lawsuit claims that the Florida resident—who was celebrating his 18th birthday—gained possession of the Ohtani ball before Zacek took it away. Davidov claims in his suit that he was able to "firmly and completely grab the ball in his left hand while it was on the ground, successfully obtaining possession of the 50/50 ball."
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