Shohei Ohtani made history – smashing 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in a single season. His hunger for clenching more led to another milestone, Ohtani became the first player to mark his 52-52 on Friday. But the 50th homer ball, that’s a special one, right? He etched his name in history with that home run, and the Los Angeles Dodgers star would want that ball. But that ball might have slipped through his fingers.

When Shohei Ohtani crushed a two-strike curveball into the Miami night sky, it made fans go crazy to grab the ball. A guy in a teal t-shirt–missed in not once, but twice and almost missed falling over the railing. Then, the ball ricocheted into the lounge area where chaos erupted, but ultimately one fan caught the ball. While Brahm Wachter, head of the modern collectibles at Heritage Auction, quoted the price of the ball in the auction to be upwards of $200,000, here’s the catch- the details of the fan and the ball are yet to be found.

An unidentified walks away with Shohei Ohtani’s historic home run ball

As fans scrambled for Shohei Ohtani’s homer ball, they were knocking over tables and chairs in the chaos. After all, it became a part of baseball history—everyone wants it. And a lucky fan did end up getting it. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald tweeted that the unidentified fan who snagged the ball “opted to walk away with it.” The worst part–the team could not strike a deal to get it back. Now, fans always end up catching home run balls, but they typically return the item to teams for perks. Sometimes, they get signed bats, some merch, and more; but this time, it could be different – maybe because the stakes are higher.

Shohei Ohtani’s 50th homer ball can be a ticket to be a millionaire. Remember, Judge’s home run ball from last season fetched 1.5 million at an auction. Also, Chris Ivy, the director of the same department, said this ball would possibly make up a nice round number of $100,000+. So, this temptation might make the fan who has the iconic ball hold onto it – he might be facing the urge to sell it in the market. Safe to say it could pay off entire mortgages and cover tuition fees. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that — never expect the expected.

The wild stories behind baseball’s most coveted home run balls

When it comes to catching a history-making home run ball, many fans indulge in jumping over the crowd and trying to grab it. We saw this two years ago, when Aaron Judge’s 60th home run ball had grown men pile on top of each other to take hold of it. It almost brought back memories of 2001, when Barry Bonds smashed a record-breaking 73rd home run. A fan caught it and dropped it after being tackled; then, another scooped it up, and this led to a legal battle about who the owner of the ball was. 

The California court ruled that both fans had the right and hence, they split the proceeds of a whopping $450,000 at auction in 2003. Another Dodgers fan once declined to return Albert Pujols his 700th home run ball in 2022, despite his request. Then, they sold it at an auction for a great price—$360,000. That same year, another man caught Judge’s 62nd home run and auctioned it for $1.5 million. So, given that Shohei Ohtani’s 50th ball was just as legendary, a similar price tag could be expected.

But not all the fans have been in for the money. One fan had caught Judge’s 60th home run ball, and he decided to return it to the New York Yankees. In return, he wanted a meet and greet, and some signed merch. Plus, we can’t forget the incident where Mike Evans gave Tom Brady’s 600th career touchdown pass to a fan in 2021; luckily for him, the fan returned the ball because of its historical value.

There are other stances where some fans just keep the ball. So, it remains to see if Shohei Ohtani will end up seeing that historic ball ever again, and if the Los Angeles Dodgers can cut the fan some deal. What do you think will happen? Share in the comments.