Shohei Otani’s 50-50 home run could be worth $500,000

Ryan Wold was about to put history in his hands, but instead history was scratching his fingertips.

Max Matus actually had history in his hands, but he eventually lost it.

Both were in attendance Thursday for the Dodgers-Miami Marlins game at LoanDepot Park, where Los Angeles star Shohei Otani became the first Major League Baseball player to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

You’ve probably seen videos of the crazy fight in the left-center field stands after Ohtani’s 50th home run. He’s the guy wearing the Marlins jersey. Who had the first two chances to get the historic ball.

“The ball went over us and I saw it bounce. I tried to catch it at the time, but I was a little far away at that point,” Wold told The Times in a phone interview Friday. “Then it bounced off the table in front of me, and because it was there, I reached out and touched the tips of it.” [of my fingers]By the time she fell off the table, there were three people directly on top of her.

“It’s a really crazy moment because it happens so quickly. I thought I was able to get to her – but I didn’t. Then someone else grabbed her, and at that point it was too late to jump in and try to intervene in the fight.”

When asked if he thought there was anything else he could have done to get the ball out when it was so close, Wold laughed.

“Definitely,” said Wold, a Palm Beach, Fla., resident who attended the game with a group of coworkers from Franklin Street Real Estate. “I could have fallen off suddenly, I think — I would have been hit for sure.”

“It was really cool to be there in that moment.”

Matos was there celebrating his 18th birthday with his father, Greg Matos, a co-worker and son. Max Matos can be seen wearing a red shirt and a faded blue hat. In video footage He struggles for the ball with a man in a black shirt.

Eventually, the man, who appeared to be in his 40s, walked out with the ball, as Max Matos looked on, clearly frustrated. Greg Matos told The Times on Friday that his son was “obviously upset about it, but he’s fine.”

“I think he was disappointed because he had the ball in his hands and someone took it from him,” Greg Matos said. “Obviously after the incident, everyone was talking about how the ball was worth millions of dollars or whatever. But at that point, I think he was just a kid trying to catch a ball in the outfield during a game.”

The game was a positive experience overall, Otani said. Otani pitched well, hitting six in six innings with three home runs, 10 runs batted in and two steals as the Dodgers won 20-4 and secured a berth in the National League postseason for the 12th straight time.

“We had a great time,” Greg Matos said. “Obviously I was a little disappointed not to be able to catch that ball now, knowing it would make history, but the atmosphere was great and crazy. When that ball hit, it just made a mess. People were jumping over tables, landing on people. … I’m just really glad my son didn’t get hurt.”

The man who got the 50-50 ball was immediately arrested by security. Darren Rovell from clllct The fan was reportedly taken to an undisclosed location as the ball was verified by the league.

Craig Misch, senior baseball reporter for the Miami Herald, The fan reportedly kept the ball. Instead of giving it to the Dodgers, Ohtani said after the game that he had not received the ball.

The Dodgers declined to comment for this story, and the Marlins and MLB did not respond to messages from The Times.

Brendan Wells, Vice President at SCP Auctions The owner of Laguna Niguel said Friday his company believes the ball is “worth half a million dollars, maybe more based on the importance of this important event,” provided the owner acts quickly while Thursday’s events are still fresh in everyone’s minds.

Wold admitted the ball was “very valuable,” but said he probably would have kept the souvenir had he pulled it out.

“My dad is a huge baseball fan and so are his brothers, so I definitely wanted to get them involved in experiencing this game because it’s such a big part of history,” Wold said.

“I think something like this is unique,” he added. “I mean, I might eventually sell it, but my parents live in New Jersey, and I live in Florida, so I might give them a chance to touch it, something like that.”