Shohei Ohtani's historic 50/50 home run ball to be auctioned, with opening bid at $500K
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- You could soon be the owner of a piece of baseball history. That's because Shohei Ohtani's historic 50/50 home run ball is going up for auction.
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is the first player in Major League Baseball to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season. Ohtani accomplished the one-of-a-kind feat last Thursday when he hit three home runs and stole two bases against the Miami Marlins.
The ball will go up for auction with renowned collectibles marketplace Goldin. Bidding starts Friday.
Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin, told Eyewitness News that a friend of the fan who caught the ball contacted the company through social media.
"You want to sell it right now while it's top of mind and everybody wants it," Goldin said.
The opening bid for the ball is $500,000, but potential buyers will have a chance to purchase it outright for $4.5 million up until Oct. 9. If bidding reaches $3 million before Oct. 9, the option to purchase privately will be removed and those interested must bid for the baseball.
According to ESPN, Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball in 1999 holds the current record paid for a baseball. It sold for $3.05 million.
