Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run with the Dodgers on Wednesday night, but ended up receiving the ball from a fan for a pittance.
And now this supporter and her husband believe the team “took advantage of her” when the Dodgers secured the ball for the Japanese superstar.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Ohtani hit a 430-foot ball to right-center field from Giants reliever Taylor Rogers, which was the deciding run in a 5-4 victory over his arch-rivals.
Match broadcast on home base SportsNet LA showed a lucky fanHer name is Amber Roman. According to The Athleticbrought home a home run ball, but she didn’t get much in return when she gave the ball back to Ohtani.
After the game, Dodgers designated hitter told reporters He was able to get the ball back in exchange for another ball, two autographed Dodger hats, a bat, and a simple conversation.
It was Ohtani’s 172nd career home run, not a groundbreaking number for a major leaguer, but it could have sold for at least $100,000, an auction house representative told The Athletic.
Phan, who hit Aaron Judge’s record-breaking 62nd home run of the 2022 season, was ultimately auctioned off for $1.5 million after turning down a private offer of $3 million.
And while Ohtani’s first home run with the Dodgers probably wouldn’t have been that expensive, it would have been a solid chunk of change.
Roman and her husband, Alexis Valenzuela, were reportedly pressured to hand over the ball to the Dodgers, threatening that the team would not certify its baseball authenticity if she decided to keep it. .
Without it, the home run ball wouldn’t have been worth it.
“They really took advantage of her,” Valenzuela told The Athletic. “There were many [security] The men around her. They didn’t allow me to talk to her or give her advice. There was no way for us to leave. They were pushing her pretty hard. ”
The Dodgers told The Athletic that the team was willing to discuss Ball again, adding that they did not regret the decision, especially if the home run might not have been certified.
“Obviously, this is a very special ball,” Ohtani said after the game, according to the Associated Press. “A lot of emotions for it. I’m so grateful to have you back.”
After last night’s win, Ohtani is currently hitting .270 with a .749 OPS.
