Freddie Freeman's historic walk-off grand slam ball sells for more than $1.5 million
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Freddie Freeman's historic walk-off grand slam ball from Game 1 of the World Series has officially been sold for more than $1.5 million.
The ball was sold Saturday following an intense night of bidding. SCP Auctions ran the sale that included Freeman's ball from Dec. 4-14 and even had to extend the closing time by about three hours.
Company president David Kohler previously said the ball is "easily worth seven figures."
The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman came to the plate on a sprained right ankle with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning against the New York Yankees. Freeman hit the first pitch from Nestor Cortes 413 feet for the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
"That's as good as it gets right there," said Freeman, who was named World Series MVP.
The Dodgers won the game 6-3 and went on to claim the franchise's eighth World Series championship in five games.
"It might be the greatest baseball moment I've ever witnessed," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "and I've witnessed some great ones."
The ball landed in the right-field pavilion, where it was corralled by 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman, who lives in Venice. The ball rolled from the seat in front of him to his feet and he batted it to his father, Nico, who jumped on it.
The fifth-grader had been told he was leaving school early that day to get his braces removed. Instead, his parents took him to Dodger Stadium.
The proceeds from the auction are going to fund his future education.
It's the second ball connected to the Dodgers to be auctioned this season. The ball hit by Freeman's teammate, Shohei Ohtani, that made him the first player in major league history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season sold for nearly $4.4 million to a Taiwanese investment firm and is on display in that country. It set a record for the sale of any sports ball.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
