Crazy moment fans fight for Shohei Ohtani’s home run ball – amid claims it could sell for half a MILLION dollars
Footage has emerged of desperate baseball fans rushing to find Shohei Ohtani’s historic home run in a bid to win a huge prize.
Ohtani delivered one of the best individual performances in MLB history on Thursday night, taking his dominant first season with the Dodgers to new heights.
The $700 million Japanese star player became the first Major League player to hit at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
He crossed the 50-50 mark in the most dramatic game of his historic career, becoming the first major league player to hit three home runs and steal two bases in one game during a 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins, which also secured the Dodgers a place in the playoffs.
Video footage from the Miami stadium shows fans pushing and shoving as they look under the seats in hopes of finding the 50th home run ball.
Footage has emerged of desperate baseball fans rushing to catch Shohei Ohtani’s home run ball
He became the first Major League player with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases
In the video, a huge scrum ensues as they battle to capture a valuable piece of baseball history.
That’s because Dillon Kohler of SCP Auctions told NBC The ball could be worth at least $300,000 and sell for up to $500,000.
Yankees star Aaron Judge’s American League record 62nd home run ball in 2022 sold for $1.5 million at auction, according to MLB.com.
It was heartbreaking for a fan who missed Ohtani’s home run when he was close to getting the ultimate reward.
The fan’s first attempt came when he bent over as the ball landed on the Recess Sports Lounge.
As the ball bounced back to him, the fan reached out with his left hand and came within inches of it, but was ultimately unable to grab the ball.
The ball bounced off the scoreboard above the stadium’s nightclub, landing on the court and giving fans a chance to rebound.
A fan in Miami came very close to catching Ohtani’s 50th home run this season
He held on to the guardrail in front of him and extended his upper body on the second attempt, but chose not to dive into the area below him.
It was another memorable night for Ohtani at LoanDepot Park, where he retired then-Angels teammate Mike Trout of the United States for the final out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship, playing for Japan.
βI’ve had some of the most memorable moments of my career here,β Ohtani said, βand this stadium has become one of my favorite stadiums.β
Already considered by many to be the best player in baseball, whose accomplishments as a pitcher and hitter surpassed even Babe Ruth, Ohtani reached new heights as an offensive player when he took a year off from pitching.
Ohtani signed a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers last December.
The two-way star, who previously spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels, has played exclusively as a designated hitter this season as he rehabilitates from surgery last year to repair an elbow ligament injury.