Florida Man Files Lawsuit To Prevent Shohei Ohtani’s 50th Homerun Ball From Being Sold
A Florida man has filed a lawsuit to keep Shohei Ohtani’s 50th homerun ball from being sold. Should the ball actually be his?
This was sure to happen once people realized the value of that ball that’s expected to sell for millions at an auction. However, is the wrong person going to be receiving the money? That’s what one Florida man is claiming after saying it should be rightfully his! Now, a lawsuit has been started to get to the bottom of who’s going to strike it rich.
Florida Man Files Lawsuit To Get Money From Shohei Ohtani’s 50th Homerun Ball
It was a mad dash for the ball after Ohtani finally hit that 50th homerun to be the first player in MLB history in the 50-50 club with 50 homeruns and 50 steals in a single season. It’s never been done before! There’s the 40-40 club, but nobody has made it to the 50-50. So, it’s a huge deal, and that ball is definitely going to be worth a life-changing amount of money.
According to AP News, Max Matus filed a lawsuit with his representatives saying that Max gained possession of the historic 50th homerun ball on September 19th–his birthday–before Chris Belanski took it away from him. Now, the ball has been handed over to Goldin Auctions in New Jersey, which specializes in selling trading cards, collectibles, and memorabilia. According to AP News, the motion for a temporary injunction was deferred, and an evidentiary hearing will be held in October. The order reportedly allows the auction to start, but the house can’t sell, conceal, or transfer the ball. That means it’s yet to be determined who’s going to get the massive payday.
Additionally, Kelvin Ramirez was named in the lawsuit after claiming ownership of the ball. Ramirez attended the game with Belanski and all 3: Goldin Auctions, Belanski, and Ramirez are all named in the suit that was filed by John Uustal, who’s representing Matus. The opening bid is reportedly $500,000 and is expected to go for much much more than that. Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of the auction house, tells AP News, “Ohtani is truly one-of-a-kind, and the 50-50 record may be his crowning achievement. This is a piece of baseball history that fans and historians around the world will remember for decades to come.” It was an unbelievable night, and the price will likely be just as unbelievable.