An 18-year-old baseball enthusiast has initiated a legal battle, asserting his ownership of Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 home-run ball, which has been listed for auction.
In a historic game, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first Major League Baseball player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. This remarkable achievement was reached during the seventh innings of the Dodgers’ overwhelming 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins. Following this, the valuable home-run ball was listed for auction by the renowned Goldin auction house, with a starting bid of $500,000 (£375,000) and a private purchase option set at $4.5m (£3.4m).
However, a young fan named Max Matus has filed a legal claim in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court, asserting that he is the rightful owner of the historic ball. According to Matus, he had initially caught the ball only to have it forcibly taken from him by another individual, Chris Belanski. The claim describes how Belanski allegedly ‘wrapped his legs around Max’s arm and used his hands to wrangle the ball out of Max’s hand.’
The lawsuit has named the auction house, Belanski, and another individual, Kelvin Ramirez, who attended the game with Belanski, as defendants. Matus provided photos taken by other fans at the scene, one of which reportedly shows Belanski displaying the ball while Matus looks on in apparent disbelief. The legal filing asserts that the unique and irreplaceable nature of the 50-50 ball has caused Matus irreparable harm.
Goldin auction house has reviewed Matus’ claims but decided to proceed with the auction. The auction house provided no further comments on the ongoing legal dispute. The case has garnered significant attention due to the value and rarity of the ball, as well as the high-profile nature of Ohtani’s achievement. The legal proceedings will ultimately determine the rightful ownership of this coveted item.
The legal confrontation over Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 home-run ball underscores the significant value attributed to rare sports memorabilia, and the outcome of this case will be closely watched by fans and collectors alike.
