Auction for Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 Ball Goes Online Amid Lawsuit: NPR

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit his 50th home run of the season in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins on September 19 in Miami.

Marta Lavandier/AP

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Marta Lavandier/AP

When MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani hit his 50th home run last week, fans packed the stands to catch the milestone baseball.

But the fight for this piece of MLB history is far from over. The argument between two fans Things are expected to get even more complicated as online bidding for the legendary baseball begins on Friday and continues until October 16th. The opening bid is $500,000.

On Thursday, a judge in Florida ruled that the auction could proceed despite ongoing litigation, but that the baseball could not be sold before the Oct. 10 court hearing in the case.

Earlier this month, Los Angeles Dodgers player Ohtani made history in a game against the Miami Marlins by hitting a total of 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in a single season.

The milestone 50th home run ball landed in left field at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. – leading to a chaotic scramble among fans trying to get their hands on it. In the end, there were two men fighting for baseball – Max Matus and Chris Belanski.

In a video of the altercation released on XBelanski appears on his knees and Matus is bent over as both grip the ball tightly. Belanski later yells, “I got it!” before waving the ball in the air.

On Wednesday, Matus filed a lawsuit against Belanski, another fan, and Goldin Auctions, which purchased the baseball. In the lawsuit, Matus claims he was the first to catch the ball and Belanski stole the ball from him. It added that Matus attended the baseball game to celebrate his 18th birthday.

“Belanski wrapped his legs around Max’s arm and used his hands to rip the ball out of Max’s hands, thereby stealing the ball from himself,” the suit said.

In an interview with ESPN, Ken Goldin, CEO of Goldin Auctions, said that a man – whom he did not name – contacted the auction house about the baseball, also known as the 50/50 ball, the day after the Dodgers game.

Matus’ attorney, John Uustal, said Thursday filed an injunction to stop the auction. The request was later rejected by a judge in Florida. A hearing is scheduled for October 10 – about a week before the auction ends.

Uustal, an attorney with the Florida-based law firm Kelley-Uustal, said the 18-year-old high school student simply wanted the ball back. “He loves baseball and he loved that ball and he would love to have it,” he said.

Uustal added that he is prepared for a long legal battle if necessary. Depending on how the judge rules at the upcoming hearing, milestone baseball could be out of reach for any fan until the lawsuit is resolved.

Belanski’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Goldin spokesman said: “We are delighted to bring this item to market. Although Goldin has been named as a party in the case, there are no allegations of wrongdoing by the company.”

This isn’t the first time fights over home run balls have spilled from the stadium into the courtroom. In 2001, Barry Bonds hit a record-breaking home run. Initially the ball came into contact with Alex Popov, but later he was attacked by other fans and the ball rolled to Patrick Hayashi.

The two went to court over who was the rightful owner of the baseball. In the end, the California Supreme Court ruled that both men had the right to attend the ball and that neither could be lawfully deprived of it. The couple sold the ball and split the proceeds evenly.