Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 ball enters auction and historic bid is expected

The baseball with which Shohei Ohtani hit his 50th home run and allowed him to make history with the figure of 50-50 (stolen bases) in the same season, will be auctioned.

Ohtani became the first player in the history of the Major Leagues in achieving 50-50. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar accomplished the feat last week in Miami.

The fan who caught the historic ball spoke to Goldin, a New Jersey-based auction house that specializes in trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia to seek a million-dollar bid.

“This was one of the easiest (consignments) ever,” Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin, told ESPN. “Ohtani (hit 50) on Thursday, literally on Friday we found out about the guy, he contacted Goldin on his own through social media, he had a security guard fly to Miami on Monday with a representative of Goldin, they met him, They flew back on Monday.”

When it comes to sporting goods auctions, the prices can surprise anyone, as did some Michael Jordan shoes and a LeBron James rookie card. But Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball in the 2024 MLB season, what can be said is little, since the first offer is already expected to be half a million dollars.

Shohei Ohtani’s ball may be the most expensive in history

Through a statement, the Goldin auction house confirmed that the initial bid for this piece of baseball history will start at half a million, with a private sale opportunity of $4.5 million, which will be valid from September 27 to September 9 of October.

To ensure that the ball is original and not a fake piece, the Goldin house released a statement: “The ball shows excellent play wear, with black scuffs and superficial abrasions present throughout the white leather surface. The panel below the ‘Official Major League Baseball’ stamping contains a distressed MLB batter logo with the notations “U” and “3” written in pencil above and below the logo.

The fan who caught the ball for Ohtani’s 50th home run preferred to remain anonymous and then rejected negotiations with the Dodgers, where they offered him up to $300,000.

“My view was that the quickest possible auction route was the best,” Goldin said. “It’s timely; the Dodgers are going to the playoffs, Ohtani will easily be the MVP, let’s do this while Ohtani is on everyone’s mind and, what was also very important to the consignee, is the worldwide and global reach that both have Goldin like eBay. It’s certainly possible for someone outside of the United States to win this baseball.” “My view was that the quickest possible auction route was the best,” Goldin said. “It’s timely; the Dodgers are going to the playoffs, Ohtani will easily be the MVP, let’s do this while Ohtani is on everyone’s mind and, what was also very important to the consignee, is the worldwide and global reach that both have Goldin like eBay. It’s certainly possible for someone outside of the United States to win this baseball.”

The current record paid for a baseball is the $3.05 million paid for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball in 1999 by comic book creator and McFarlane Toys empire magnate Todd McFarlane. McFarlane told The Athletic in 2022 that he owns Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run from the 2001 season, as well as Sammy Sosa’s 66th from 1999.

In late 2022, also with Goldin, the ball from Aaron Judge’s American League record-breaking 62nd home run sold for $1.5 million. Seller Cory Youmans caught Judge’s record-breaking ball at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, turned down a $3 million bid for the ball and put it up for auction. The $1.5 million paid for Judge’s 62nd baseball remains the second-most expensive baseball ever sold at auction.