• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Law

Ohtani Ball to Be Sold Before Courts Determine Rightful Owner

  • The ball is currently bidding at auction for $1.8 million.
  • Parties agreed to let the ball sell and then fight over ownership.
Oct 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) swings in the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres during game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Shohei Ohtani 50/50 ball is finally cleared for auction. But its ownership is still very much in dispute.  

Ohtani homered in Miami on Sept. 19 to become the first player to reach 50 home runs and steal as many bases in a single season. 

At least three people have claimed ownership of the ball and are suing one another to prove it—and likely a piece of the auction profit, which is already up to $1.8 million and closes Oct. 22. 

Goldin, the memorabilia company auctioning the ball, announced Monday the parties suing one another over ownership of the ball have agreed for the auction to proceed without court interference. 

“We’re grateful for the trust and support of all parties regarding the auction of the Shohei Ohtani 50/50 ball,” Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin, said in a statement.

This doesn’t mean litigation over the ball’s true owner is settled, however. Goldin said all parties have agreed to proceed with the auction. They’ll continue their litigation to determine “who owned the 50/50 ball and thus entitlement to the auction proceeds,” the statement said.

As of now, the most expensive baseball ever sold was Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball for $3 million in 1999.

When Ohtani homered his way into history, a scrum followed for the ball, which landed in the left field bleachers of loanDepot park in Miami. Chris Belanski emerged with the ball and is the person selling it, but Max Matus and Joseph Davidov have both claimed ownership of the ball. 

Last week, Davidov filed a suit in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit court against Belanski, Belanski’s friend Kelvin Ramirez, and Matus. Davidov is seeking possession of the ball, an injunction to stop the auction, and more than $50,000 in damages.

“Parties have agreed to let the sale proceed and then the parties will continue to litigate over ownership over the final proceeds of the sale,” Devon Workman, Davidov’s attorney, told Front Office Sports in an email. 

Matus’s case is similar to Davidov’s. He is suing Belanski, Ramirez, and Goldin, and is seeking an injunction against selling the ball. Both Davidov and Matus claim they had possession of the ball and lost it by having their arm pinned, with Matus’s suit specifically naming Belanski for trapping his arm between his legs while Davidov’s suit says “an unknown fan” did him in. The agreement with Goldin ends both Davidov’s and Matus’s injunctions to stop the auction. 

Goldin’s announcement did not say whether the company has been dropped as a defendant from Matus’s case. A spokesperson for Goldin did not immediately respond to comment on the company’s involvement in the case, nor did attorneys for Matus. 

The lawsuits have some precedent. Barry Bonds’s 73rd home run ball in 2001 and his 700th career dinger three years later both went from the bleachers to the court. The $450,000 paid for the 73rd home run ball was ultimately split between the two owners who claimed they got the ball, which has made the case a go-to when it comes to home run ball ownership.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

MLB Home Run Derby Draws 5.7M Viewers on ESPN, Up 5%

ESPN reverses the trend from last year and registers audience growth.
Jul 14, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the 2025 Home Run Derby at Truist Park.

MLB Enters Crucial Second Half With Big Questions Looming

Media, labor, and Cal Raleigh are among the top second-half storylines.
Cal Raleigh

Home Run Derby Came Down to a 1-Inch Hawk-Eye Measurement

One expert is skeptical that the measurement could be that precise.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya’s Legal Win Could Reopen Fight Against Testosterone Limits

The Olympian champion’s appeal against gender eligibility rules continues.
May 9, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Sports are shown on TVs behind the bar as guests enjoy the grand opening of DraftKings Sports & Social in the Short North. Though there are no on-site betting windows, eligible customers can place bets through the DraftKings app.
July 3, 2025

PrizePicks Drops Suit Against Ex-Employee Who Left for DraftKings

The ex-employee still disputes the allegations.
A set of trading cards
July 9, 2025

Judge Rules Against Fanatics as Panini Case Gets Rancorous

A judge ordered Fanatics to turn over unredacted trading card licenses.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Wander Franco
June 26, 2025

Wander Franco Convicted of Child Sex Abuse, Receives 2-Year Suspended Sentence

Franco can avoid jail time but is unlikely to return to MLB.
Wimbledon
June 25, 2025

Players Suing Tennis Begin Negotiations With Grand Slams

They may add the Slams as defendants if talks fail in 90 days.
Dec 24, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) warms up before the game between the Browns and the New Orleans Saints at FirstEnergy Stadium
June 24, 2025

Unearthed NFL Arbitration Ruling Raises More Questions Than Answers

The NFL was cleared of collusion, but new questions have emerged.
Apr 24, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) controls the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of game three in the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome.
June 24, 2025

James Harden Sued for Negligence in Sexual Assault Case

Harden hosted the party where the alleged incident happened.