Max Matus, an 18-year-old baseball enthusiast, has found himself embroiled in a legal tussle over the coveted 50th home run ball of Shohei Ohtani. This prized possession, symbolizing Ohtani’s monumental feat during the season, is expected to attract bids commencing at a jaw-dropping $500,000.
Matus has taken bold legal action by filing a lawsuit in Florida to impede the impending auction of the prized baseball. He claims that the ball, now in the possession of fellow fan Chris Belanski, was forcibly taken from him during a game at loanDepot Park in Miami on September 19. Matus alleges that he had initially secured the ball with his left hand, only for Belanski and his friend Kelvin Ramirez to wrest it away through aggressive means.
In a bid to thwart the auction, Matus has appealed for the ball to be safeguarded in a mutually agreed secure location until the court delivers its verdict. However, despite Matus’s efforts, Goldin Auctions, the renowned auction house based in New Jersey entrusted with the sale, has opted to push forward with the auction proceedings. A Miami judge’s ruling denied Matus’s plea for a temporary restraining order, permitting the auction to progress as scheduled.
Goldin Auctions has responded succinctly to the legal commotion, asserting its intention to proceed with the auction of the Ohtani 50th home run ball. Should Matus’s legal team successfully argue their case before the auction concludes on October 16, there is a possibility of Matus receiving a portion of the proceeds from the ball’s sale.
The CEO of Goldin Auctions, Ken Goldin, disclosed that Belanski had promptly reached out to initiate the auction the day following Ohtani’s noteworthy achievement. Despite receiving a substantial offer of $300,000 from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the ball, as reported by Fox Sports 640’s Andy Slater, Belanski opted to pursue the auction route.
The auction is set to commence with a “buy-it-now” price tag of a staggering $4.5 million, accessible until October 9. If the bids attain the $3 million mark before the specified date, the buy-it-now option will be rescinded, paving the way for the bidding war to persist until October 16. As the auction unfolds, Matus’s legal maneuverings introduce a fresh layer of intrigue to the unfolding narrative surrounding one of the year’s most exceptional sports memorabilia sales.
Indeed, this legal saga surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball promises to captivate the attention of collectors, baseball aficionados, and legal observers alike. As the auction progresses, all eyes will be fixed on the outcome of this enthralling showdown over one of the most sought-after pieces of baseball history.
