Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50-50 ball sells at auction for nearly $4.4M

Shohei Ohtani’s 50th location tally shot has sold astatine auction for astir $4.4 million, a grounds precocious terms not conscionable for a baseball, but for immoderate shot successful immoderate sport, the auctioneer said Wednesday.

Ohtani became the archetypal subordinate successful shot past to hit 50 homers and bargain 50 bases successful a season, reaching the milestone connected Sept. 19 erstwhile the Los Angeles Dodgers prima deed his 2nd of 3 homers against the Marlins.

“We received bids from astir the world, a testament to the value of this iconic collectible and Ohtani’s interaction connected sports, and I’m thrilled for the winning bidder,” Ken Goldin, the laminitis and CEO of auctioneer Goldin Auctions said successful a statement.

The auction opened connected Sept. 27 with a starting bid of $500,000 and closed conscionable aft midnight connected Wednesday. The auctioneer said it could not disclose immoderate accusation astir the winning bidder.

The auction has been overshadowed by the litigation implicit ownership of the ball. Christian Zacek walked retired of Miami’s LoanDepot Park with the shot aft gaining possession successful the left-field stands. Max Matus and Joseph Davidov each assertion successful abstracted lawsuits that they grabbed the shot first.

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All the parties progressive successful the litigation agreed that the auction should continue.

Matus’ suit claims that the Florida nonmigratory — who was celebrating his 18th day — gained possession of the Ohtani shot earlier Zacek took it away. Davidov claims successful his suit that helium was capable to “firmly and wholly drawback the shot successful his near manus portion it was connected the ground, successfully obtaining possession of the 50/50 ball.”

Ohtani and the Dodgers are preparing for Game 1 of the World Series scheduled for Friday night.