The baseball that marked Shohei Ohtani’s entry into the exclusive 50 home runs/50 stolen bases club is about to go up for auction. Starting Friday at noon ET, fans and collectors will have the opportunity to bid on this piece of baseball history via Goldin Auctions. The opening bid is set at a healthy $500,000, and there’s even a $4.5 million “buy it now” option available between Sept. 27 and Oct. 9. However, if the bid exceeds $3 million before the “buy it now” deadline, the option will be removed, forcing interested parties to compete in a bidding war.
A final sale price of $4.5 million or more would shatter the current record for a baseball, set in 1998 when Mark McGwire’s 70-run homer sold for more than $3 million. Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions, acknowledges the significance of Ohtani’s achievement, calling the 50/50 feat a potential “crowning achievement” in the player’s unique career. The auction house is understandably excited to offer this historic item to collectors, anticipating it will be remembered for generations to come.
Ohtani reached the milestone on September 19 during a standout game against the Miami Marlins. He hit three home runs that day, his 49th, 50th and 51st of the season, while also driving home a Dodgers-record 10 RBI in a perfect 6-for-6 performance. The 50th home run came on a Mike Baumann curveball in the seventh inning, landing in the left field at LoanDepot Park. The accomplishment cemented Ohtani’s place as the first MLB player to reach both 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
The fan who originally got the historic ball at LoanDepot Park has entrusted it to Goldin Auctions.