New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge made history Tuesday when he surpassed Roger Maris’ American League record of 61 home runs in one season — and the fan who caught the historic ball is set to make bank.
Texas Rangers fan Cory Youmans — who snatched Judge’s 62nd home run ball at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas — has been offered $2 million by the owner of a sports memorabilia auction house.
“I feel the offer is way above fair, if he is inclined to sell it,” Memory Lane Inc. president JP Cohen told the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Youmans faces a tough decision as the value of sports memorabilia soars.
- In August, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card sold for $12.6 million, setting a new record for sports collectibles as the most valuable sports card ever sold at auction.
- The following month, Michael Jordan’s jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold for $10.1 million.
- In May, the jersey worn by soccer icon Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup sold for $9.3 million, while a T206 Honus Wagner card commanded $7.25 million in August.
The record price for a home run ball was set in 1998 at $3 million for Mark McGwire’s then-National League-record 70th homer — before his admission of steroid use in 2010.
Worth the Wait
Before this season, Judge turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million extension offer from the Yankees. The move could earn him an additional $100 million as the Yankees bid against the other 29 MLB teams.
