"If You Spend 6 Billion, You Get It"... Otani's '50-50' Home Run Ball Up for Auction

If Offered 6 Billion, Purchase Possible Without Competition
Will Mark McGwire's 70th Home Run Ball Price Be Surpassed?

Superstar Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) started as the No. 1 designated hitter in the visiting game against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, USA, on the 19th (local time) during the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) season, achieving the remarkable milestone of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. [Source=Yonhap News]

The baseball that completed Shohei Ohtani's (30, Los Angeles Dodgers) historic '50 home runs and 50 stolen bases' milestone in Major League Baseball (MLB) has been put up for auction.

On the 26th (Korean time), sports media ESPN reported, "The ball from Ohtani's 50th home run has been consigned to the auction house Goldin," adding, "The auction will start on the 27th local time." The minimum bid is $500,000 (about 670 million KRW), and it is known that if someone offers $4.5 million (600 million KRW), they can purchase it without competition.

Earlier, on the 20th, Ohtani started as the designated hitter in the visiting game against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, during the 2024 Major League season. Having already reached 50 stolen bases in a previous at-bat, he hit his 50th home run in the top of the 7th inning when the score was 12-3, setting the MLB's first-ever single-season record of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. Ohtani's 50th home run ball went over the left field fence, and about 10 spectators nearby dove to catch it. Among them, one man caught the ball after it fell under a table and, following guidance from team officials, left the stands. ESPN reported, "The Dodgers offered a $300,000 (400 million KRW) reward to get the ball back, but the spectator refused."

According to the Guinness World Records website, the most expensive home run ball ever sold at auction was Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball from the 1998 season. That ball reportedly sold for $3,005,000 (about 3.997 billion KRW). It is expected that baseball collectors from the U.S., Japan, and other countries will actively participate in the auction for Ohtani's home run ball, potentially driving the price higher than McGwire's. The MLB office reportedly used specially marked official balls for each of Ohtani's at-bats to verify the authenticity of the home run ball.

Meanwhile, after the game, Ohtani said, "I feel joy and relief, along with respect for the seniors who have set many records before me," adding, "It was a meaningful game because I set a new record." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also congratulated Ohtani, saying, "A record that no one in baseball history has achieved has been made."