Shohei Otani 50-50 Ball Up for Auction – NBC Los Angeles

How much is Shohei Otani’s historic 50-50 goal worth?

We’re about to find out.

The baseball that the Dodgers’ all-star and two-time American League champion hit in his career-high 50 home runs this season is on its way out. Up for auction later this month..

Ohtani sent the ball over the outfield fence in a Sept. 19 game against the Miami Marlins, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. In what is widely considered one of the greatest single-game performances of all time, Ohtani went 6-of-6 with three home runs, two doubles and an incredible 10 RBI in a Dodgers win that was astonishing, even by Ohtani’s lofty standards.

The ball sparked a brawl among fans, with one of them bringing in the high-value ball. Otani entered the game needing two home runs and one stolen base to reach the 50-50 mark.

Goldin will auction off the 50-goal ball beginning Friday at 9 a.m. PT. The opening bid is set at $500,000 with an option to buy the ball outright for $4.5 million through Oct. 9. If bidding reaches $3 million before Oct. 9, the option to buy will be removed and bidders will be able to compete, potentially lowering the value of the historic piece of sports memorabilia.

The extended auction will start on October 16.

The person who ended up with the ball was escorted from the stadium by security and brought it to Goldin within a week, Goldin said. Goldin did not identify the guarantor.

“Otani is truly one of a kind, and the 50-50 record is perhaps his crowning achievement,” said Ken Goldin, CEO of the auction house. “We are proud to offer this iconic piece to collectors. It is a piece of baseball history that fans and historians around the world will remember for decades to come.”

Photos of the ball show black scratch marks on the white leather surface. The ball features an MLB hologram used to verify its authenticity.