Full ownership of Ohtani’s ball, known as the ’50-50 ball’, is disputed and is currently the subject of a lawsuit in Florida.
Max Matus, 18, said in a legal claim that he grabbed Ohtani’s 50th homer and another fan wrestled it from his hand.
Matus says the ball was briefly in his possession before a man identified as Chris Belanski “wrapped his legs around Max’s arm and used his hands to wrangle the ball out of Max’s hand, stealing the ball for himself”.
All parties with claims to the ball agreed to go ahead with the auction.
According to Goldin Auctions, who were running the bidding, the buyer was given “full assurance” the ball would be completely transferred into their possession.
“We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani’s impact on sports, and I’m thrilled for the winning bidder,” said Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions.
