Lawsuit filed by baseball fan against man in possession of Ohtani’s 50th home run ball, seeks court intervention to halt auction

An 18-year-old baseball fan, Max Matus, has filed a lawsuit against Goldin Auctions and another individual over who rightfully possesses Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run baseball. Matus claims he was the first to possess the ball after it landed in the stands during a game against the Miami Marlins. The lawsuit alleges that the other individual, Chris Belanski, forcibly took the ball from Matus after a struggle, and that he later indicated on social media his intention to sell the ball. Goldin Auctions has since acquired the ball and plans to auction it off, with bidding starting at $500,000. Matus is seeking civil damages in excess of $50,000, claiming irreparable harm due to the unique nature of Ohtani’s historic 50/50 Ball. Ohtani made history on September 19 by hitting three home runs in a single game, eventually becoming part of the 50-50 club (50 home runs and 50 steals in the same season). The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief to prevent the sale or alteration of the ball to preserve its uniqueness. A spokesperson for Goldin Auctions declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit.

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