What to Know
- A valuable piece of sports memorabilia is at the center of lawsuit filed by a fan who claims he's the rightful owner of Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 home run ball.
- The teen, who attended the Sept. 19 Dodgers-Marlins game in Miami, claims the ball was taken from him during a scrum beyond the outfield wall.
- The auction of the ball is set to go ahead with bids starting at $500,000.
A teen has filed a lawsuit in Florida crying foul over ownership of the baseball that Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hit for his historic 50th home run of the season.
Eighteen-year-old Max Matus' lawsuit filed this week seeks to prevent the sale of the baseball, which was scheduled to go up for auction. The lawsuit claims Matus is the rightful owner of the ball that sparked a scrum Sept. 19 when it rocketed off the bat of Ohtani and landed behind the outfield wall at loanDepot Park in Miami.
The home run made Ohtani the only player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. Bids for the high-value baseball were set by the Goldin Auctions to start at $500,000 with an option to buy outright for an astounding $4.5 million.
Matus, a Broward County, Florida, resident, filed for an injunction preventing Goldin and two Florida residents from "transferring, encumbering, selling, or concealing the 50/50 Ball." He's also seeking compensatory damages for what transpired during the Dodgers-Marlins game, which he attended with his father on his 18th birthday, according to the lawsuit.
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Matus was in the left-center field crowd when Ohtani's second of three home runs in a game for the ages cleared the wall, the lawsuit said. Matus claimed he grabbed the ball, "successfully obtaining possession" of what would become a valuable piece of sports memorabilia, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges the ball was forcefully taken away by a "muscular, older man" identified as a defendant.
"Indeed, Max successfully grabbed the 50/50 Ball in his left hand and intended to keep it," according to the lawsuit. "Unfortunately, a few seconds later… a muscular, older man – trapped Plaintiff’s arm in between his legs and wrangled the 50/50 Ball out of Max's left hand. In so doing, (the defendant) wrongfully and forcefully obtained control of the ball and was escorted out of the stands by security."
In a statement to ESPN, Goldin Auctions said it's aware of the lawsuit.
"We are aware of the case that has been filed," Goldin Auctions said in the statement. "Having reviewed the allegations and images included in the lawsuit, and publicly available video from the game, Goldin plans to go live with the auction of the Ohtani 50/50 ball."
The 50-50 home run ball auction began Friday morning. If bids reach $3 million before Oct. 9, the private purchase option will be off the table and bidders can compete, which could drive of the value of the historic piece of sports memorabilia. Extended bidding will begin Oct. 16.
The next hearing for the Matus lawsuit was scheduled for Oct. 10.
The home run was the highlight of what's widely considered one of the greatest single-game performances of all time. Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three home runs, two doubles and a staggering 10 RBI in a Dodgers rout.
