The biggest buck of his life was just inches away, within his reach.
That's the cold hard reality baseball fans will have to live with forever after narrowly missing out on Shohei Ohtani's record-setting home run on Thursday at Miami's LawnDepot Park, when the Dodgers' two-way phenom became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases.
Instead, groups of fans fought over the ball, and an unidentified individual emerged with it, choosing to keep it for themselves rather than hand it over to Ohtani. According to the Miami Herald.
The ball is valued at at least $300,000 and possibly more than $500,000. Dillon Kohler of SCP Auctions estimated the following to NBC:.
With Ohtani chasing history, having outfield tickets gave thousands of fans a chance to catch history — and maybe the first fans could have gotten their hands on one with a little effort — or even a glove.
Ohtani's 50th home run was a home run in the opposite direction, and the stadium'sSports Lounge” will act as a kind of nightclub, giving Miami’s stadium a special atmosphere.
The ball bounced off the scoreboard above the club and into the eyes of fans wearing turquoise or green basketball jerseys.
The fan stretched out his right arm, but the ball was too far away on the first bounce.
But on the rebound, he reached out with his left hand and got within inches of the ball but couldn't grab it.
Apparently the fan didn't want to jump over the guardrail in front of him.
“You've got to dive there,” said an announcer for Florida's Bally Sports. “You can't do it short-arm. You've got to dive.”
Cameras then captured a group of fans in front of the guardrail rushing toward the ball, though the footage does not show who grabbed it.
The person did not want to cooperate with the Dodgers and chose to take home the ball from Ohtani's historic moment.
In return for their cooperation, fans typically receive autographs, photos, tickets, and other memorabilia.
By keeping the ball, the unnamed fan is likely hoping for a bigger reward than he could get by selling it.
Aaron Judge's American League record 62nd home run sold at auction for $1.5 million. From MLB.com.
Ohtani had an iconic performance on Thursday, going 6-for-6 with 10 RBIs in a 20-4 win that included three home runs and two stolen bases to reach the 50-50 mark and all but guarantee him the NL MVP award.
He currently has 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases.
