LOS ANGELES: The ball hit by Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani for his 50th home run of the season sold for a record-breaking US$4.39 million, auction house Goldin said on Wednesday (Oct 23).
The home run saw Ohtani become the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in the same season.
“Shohei Ohtani made history with this baseball, and now, with the highest sale price for any ball ever sold, this legendary piece of sports memorabilia has made history again,” Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of the auction house, said in a statement to ESPN.
“We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani’s impact on sports, and I’m thrilled for the winning bidder.”
The record price for a baseball was previously the US$3.05 million paid for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball of 1998.
Ohtani’s 50th home run of the season came during a spectacular offensive outing for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Marlins in Miami on Sep 19.
He had six hits in six at-bats, including two doubles, for a total of five extra-base hits.
He drove in 10 runs, scored four himself and stole two bases to help the Dodgers clinch a postseason berth that will mark Ohtani’s first trip to the MLB playoffs.
Ohtani had already stolen two bases in the first two innings to take his tally to 51 for the season when he turned up the power at the plate.
He smashed his 49th home run of the season in the sixth inning then established the 50-50 club with a second homer in the seventh – belting a curveball from Mike Baumann into the left field stands at LoanDepot Park.
The fan who caught it reportedly turned down the Dodgers’ offer to purchase it for US$300,000 and wasted little time in consigning it with Goldin.
