Shohei Ohtani's record-setting 50-50 home run ball goes up for auction starting at $500K
An iconic piece of Major League Baseball history will be for sale in coming days when Shohei Ohtani's record-setting 50th homer, which solidified him as the first and only member of the 50-50 club, hits the auction block.
The two-way Japanese superstar continued his phenomenal first season in Dodger blue on Sept. 19 against the Miami Marlins, when he needed just two homers and one stolen base to eclipse the 50 home run and 50 stolen base threshold, something that had never been done in baseball history.
In true Ohtani fashion, he went 6-for-6 and not only homered twice, but three times, swiped three bases and drove in 10 runs, putting together one of the game's best ever offensive performances.
When Ohtani blasted his 50th homer, sending a shot over the left field wall, pure chaos ensued, with every fan in the vicinity trying to be the lucky one to snag the historic piece of memorabilia.
The fan who did get their hands on the prize opted not to return the ball to the slugger or the Dodgers, instead bringing it to Goldin, the renowned collectibles shop and auction. Before leaving the stadium, he had the ball authenticated by MLB officials, who affixed it with the MLB Authenticated Hologram sticker.
On top of the sticker, auctioneers say that the ball has black scuffing and some abrasions on the white leather from where Ohtani's bat met the ball and the impact from when it landed in the bleachers.
Starting with an opening bid of $500,000, the ball will officially be available to the highest bidder come Friday at 9 a.m. PST It will remain on the block until Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. PST.
However, one buyer does have the opportunity to purchase the ball outright for a whopping $4.5 million between Friday and Oct. 9. According to Goldin representatives, if the bidding eclipses $3 million before, the option to privately purchase will no longer be available.
"Ohtani is truly one-of-a-kind, and the 50-50 record may be his crowning achievement. We're honored to bring this iconic item to collectors. This is a piece of baseball history that fans and historians around the world will remember for decades to come," said Ken Goldin, Founder and CEO of Goldin in a statement.