The Lucky Man Who Gave Up Nachos and Dove for Ohtani's Home Run Ball, Now Set for a Multi-Million Dollar Windfall

Ohtani's Home Run Ball Starts at $200,000
Record-Setting Longest Postseason Home Run Ball

A baseball fan who gave up his nachos and dove for a home run ball has experienced the luck of a lifetime. On November 5, sports auction house SCP Auction announced that Carlo Mendoza, who caught Shohei Ohtani's home run ball, has put it up for auction. Previously, Mendoza, a Los Angeles Dodgers fan, attended Game 4 of the National League Championship Series between the Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on October 18. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the Dodgers leading 3-0, Mendoza was sitting at an outfield nacho stand, waiting for his order. Suddenly, the crowd erupted in a tremendous roar.

Carlo Mendoza took a commemorative photo after catching Shohei Ohtani's 143m home run ball. SCP Auction

When Mendoza turned around, he saw Ohtani's home run ball flying toward him. It was the uppermost section of the right field stands, a spot where home run balls rarely land. Mendoza gave up his nachos and immediately ran, diving to catch the ball. The distance was 143 meters-the longest home run ever recorded in postseason history since the introduction of the ball-tracking system. On that day, Ohtani, who started as pitcher and threw six scoreless innings, also hit three home runs at the plate, making it a historic day. Mendoza caught Ohtani's second home run ball.

The starting bid has been set at $200,000, and the auction will run until November 22. According to The Athletic, when a home run or similar event occurs during a Major League Baseball game, officials typically rush to the scene after verifying the play and attach a special anti-counterfeit sticker to the ball. However, because Ohtani's 143-meter home run traveled so far, officials were unable to properly verify the ball at the scene. As a result, the auction house implemented additional procedures to confirm the authenticity of the home run ball. Mendoza's claim that he caught Ohtani's home run ball was officially notarized, and even a lie detector test confirmed his statement was true.

SCP Auction predicts that the final bid for Ohtani's 143-meter home run ball caught by Mendoza could reach up to $2 million (approximately 290 million won). The most expensive baseball ever sold was also one of Ohtani's home run balls. Last year, Ohtani's 50th home run ball of the season sold for $4.39 million (about 630 million won) at another auction house. SCP Auction also plans to auction two home run balls from Game 7 of the World Series: the dramatic game-tying home run hit by Dodgers' Miguel Rojas with one out in the ninth inning, and the game-winning home run hit by Dodgers' Will Smith in the 11th inning of extra innings.