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Online Bidding for Ohtani’s Historic 50-50 Ball Up to .8 Million as Proceeds Lawsuit Continues
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Online Bidding for Ohtani’s Historic 50-50 Ball Up to $1.8 Million as Proceeds Lawsuit Continues

The online auction There are just four days left for Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball, with the highest bid now at $1.8 million.

The auction was somewhat overshadowed by the legal situation surrounding the ball. Christian Zacek walked out of LoanDepot Park in Miami with the ball after gaining possession in the left field bleachers. Max Matus and Joseph Davidov each claim in separate lawsuits that they grabbed the ball first.

Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season, reaching the milestone on September 19 when the Los Angeles Dodgers star hit his second of three home runs against the Marlins.

Zacek was identified in initial court filings as Chris Belanski. Matus’ updated lawsuit — obtained Friday by The Associated Press — changes the defendant’s name to Zacek and removes Goldin Auctions as a defendant.

“The contract with Goldin to sell the ball is with Christian Zacek,” Matus’ lawyer John Uustal said in a statement. “It’s apparently the same person at the ballpark, who may have been listed as Belanski at the stadium.

“He is already difficult to identify and track down a few days after the match. But either way, the court now has control over the auction proceeds, and our lawsuit is against Zacek, who signed the contract with Goldin.

All parties involved in the lawsuit agree that the auction should go ahead.

“This agreement provides potential purchasers with the assurance that the historic 50/50 baseball will be sold free of charge and free from any legal claim against the baseball against the prospective purchaser,” Zacek’s attorneys said in a statement. “We believe this agreement reflects the recognition by all parties of this monumental achievement and will ensure that the full value of this historic 50/50 baseball will be fully recognized at auction.”

Matus’ lawsuit claims the Florida native — who was celebrating his 18th birthday — gained possession of the Ohtani ball before Zacek took it away. Davidov claims in his lawsuit that he was able to “grasp the ball firmly and completely with his left hand while it was on the ground, successfully gaining possession of the 50/50 ball.”

Davidov is seeking damages of more than $50,000.

The winning bid for Ohtani’s ball is $1.8 million, but the buyer would have to pay almost $2.2 million, not including costs. The auction ends on Tuesday.

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APMLB: https://apnews.com/MLB