On Thursday afternoon, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani made history as the inaugural member of the 50-50 club with a masterful performance against the Miami Marlins, leading to a decisive 20-4 victory. He also gave fans beyond the left-field wall the opportunity to leave loanDepot Park with a memorable souvenir.
Ohtani launched his 49th, 50th, and 51st home runs of the season while also stealing his 50th and 51st bases. In total, he went 6-for-6, recording two doubles and 10 RBIs to go along with his three home runs and two steals.
The landmark opposite-field home run struck the facade of the left-field scoreboard, narrowly escaping a fan in a teal tank top. Leaning over the railing, the man missed catching the ball by mere inches, either in midair or on its first bounce.
A chaotic scramble erupted as the ball landed in a field-level lounge area behind the outfield wall. A group of fans dove to the ground, knocking over a chair and table in their desperate attempt to claim a valuable piece of baseball history.
Life-changing money for whoever has Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 ball
As of early Friday morning, it's unclear who ended up with Ohtani's 50th home-run ball or its current whereabouts. After the Los Angeles Dodgers' 20-4 victory, the Dodgers superstar informed MLB Network that he didn't have it.
Craig Mish of the Miami Herald tweeted that the fan who retrieved the ball “chose to keep it,” and the Dodgers were unable to negotiate a deal to get it back.
Whoever possesses Ohtani’s home-run ball could potentially use it to pay off their mortgage or cover several years of college tuition.
The 50th home-run ball could “fetch upwards of $200,000” at auction, according to Brahm Wachter, head of modern collectibles at Sotheby’s, according to Yahoo Sports.
Chris Ivy, director of sports collectibles at Heritage Auctions, conservatively estimated the ball’s value at “around $100,000 or more,” and anticipated it could exceed that figure significantly.
These figures highlight Ohtani's immense popularity and the uniqueness of his accomplishment. Just five other major leaguers have achieved 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. Prior to Ohtani, the closest anyone came to the 50-50 milestone was Ronald Acuña Jr., who last year hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases.
Ballhawks were prepared to catch Ohtani's history-making homer
Ohtani’s 50th home run to left field likely caught many ballhawks off guard, given that most of his 222 career home runs have typically sailed to center or right field.
In anticipation of Shohei Ohtani reaching the 50-50 milestone, secondary market ticket sales for the Dodgers’ upcoming series against Colorado surged over the past week. StubHub reported that the average price of tickets sold in right field reached $101.
History highlights the mayhem that often erupts in the outfield bleachers when a prized home-run ball is up for grabs. Two years ago, the scramble for Aaron Judge’s 60th home-run ball led to a chaotic pile-up of fans desperately trying to secure it.
Aaron Judge's 62nd home-run ball fetched $1.5 million at auction in 2022, while Mark McGwire's 70th home-run ball sold for an impressive $3 million. Albert Pujols' 700th home-run ball also made headlines, going for $360,000. In a similar vein, the 50-50 ball represents a notable moment in baseball history.
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