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Auction of Shohei Ohtani 50th home run ball to continue despite lawsuits
The auction of Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50th home run ball will continue despite a lawsuit by two fans who both claim they retrieved the ball.
Goldin Co., which currently has the ball up for bid, announced Monday that the two fans have agreed to allow the auction to continue despite the pending litigation.
Two fans have filed lawsuits over ownership of the ball. Max Matus, 18, filed a civil suit in late September claiming he had the ball and requested a temporary injunction to halt the auction, which was not granted by the 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Florida. A second fan, Joseph Davidov, also filed a suit claiming he was the rightful owner of the ball. The court scheduled an Oct. 10 hearing to determine ownership of the ball.
Meanwhile, both prospective owners agreed to allow the auction to continue and to convey ownership of the ball to the winner of the auction.
“We’re grateful for the trust and support of all parties regarding the auction of the Shohei Ohtani 50/50 ball,” Goldin Founder and CEO Ken Goldin said. “This agreement is a testament to Goldin’s standing and reputation as a leading marketplace and auction house for high-value game-used sports memorabilia and rare collectibles,”
The ball, which Ohtani hit for his 50th home run of the season on Sept. 19, already has a record bid of $1.8 million with two weeks remaining in the auction. Extended bidding begins on Oct. 22 and Goldin has estimated it could sell between $3-$5 million.
Ohtani finished the season with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases to become the first player in major league history with a 50/50 season.
The record for the second most expensive baseball ever sold was Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball, which sold at Goldin in December of 2022 for $1.5 million.
