A lawsuit over Shohei Ohtani’s (LA Dodgers) 50th home run ball has delayed the scheduled auction.
According to an ESPN report, a baseball fan has filed a civil lawsuit claiming ownership of the 50th home run ball and requesting that the auction be halted.
The plaintiff asserts that the ball was unlawfully taken from him. 18-year-old Max Matus claims that Chris Belanski physically took Ohtani’s home run ball from him. He has requested the court to keep the ball in a safe place until a ruling is made. The court plans to hold a hearing on this matter on October 10.
Ohtani hit his 50th home run of the season during a game against the Miami Marlins on September 19, achieving the remarkable milestone of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Matus, who attended the game to celebrate his birthday, caught the ball near the left field fence but claimed Belanski took it from him forcibly. Matus filed the lawsuit, arguing that he would suffer irreparable harm if the ball were sold.
In an interview with ESPN, Matus’s attorney, John Uustal, explained, “We were asking for an emergency injunctive relief, saying, ‘If the ball is sold, there’s no way to put the horse back in the barn and make it disappear.'”
Goldin Auctions, the auction house handling the sale, stated that they plan to proceed with the auction as scheduled. However, even if the auction moves forward, the home run ball will not be sold until the court’s decision on October 10. Thus, the auction will continue until the ball’s ownership is determined following the hearing.
The starting bid for the ball is set at $500,000. If a buyer offers $4.5 million, they can acquire the ball without further bidding.
Matus’s lawsuit includes both Belanski and Kelvin Ramirez as defendants. According to the lawsuit, Belanski and Ramirez had previously revealed plans to sell the ball on social media. Matus claims he initially caught the ball, but a muscular, older man forced his arm between Matus’s legs and took the ball from him. A video of the incident was posted on social media, allowing many to witness the situation.
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