Max Matus, an 18-year-old baseball enthusiast, has thrown a legal curveball into the mix surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s monumental 50th home run ball. The much-coveted baseball, symbolizing Ohtani’s 50th home run of the season, is poised to kick off a bidding war starting at a jaw-dropping $500,000.
Matus made his mark by filing a lawsuit in Florida, aiming to block the scheduled auction of Ohtani’s prized possession, currently residing in the possession of another fervent fan, Chris Belanski. The lawsuit also roped in Belanski’s companion, Kelvin Ramirez, contending that Matus was unlawfully stripped of the ball during the gripping September 19 game at loanDepot Park in Miami.
The legal battle between Matus and the current ball holder, Belanski, revolves around allegations that Belanski “forcibly” snatched the ball from Matus’s clutches during the game. Matus, who was commemorating his 18th birthday at the event, ardently clasped the ball with his left hand before Belanski allegedly intervened, using his arm to seize the memorable artifact. Matus, now determined to derail the auction, is pushing for the ball to be secured in a mutually agreed-upon safe location until a resolution is reached.
In defiance of Matus’s legal maneuvers, Goldin Auctions, the renowned New Jersey-based auction house tasked with facilitating the ball’s sale, remains steadfast in their resolve to proceed with the auction. Despite Matus’s plea, a Miami judge rebuffed his bid for a temporary restraining order to halt the auction, granting it the green light to unfold as planned.
Addressing the lawsuit, Goldin Auctions issued a statement to ESPN, asserting their intent to forge ahead with the sale. Ken Goldin, the CEO of Goldin Auctions, disclosed that Belanski promptly connected with them post Ohtani’s milestone game with aspirations to set up the auction. Reportedly, the Los Angeles Dodgers dangled a tempting $300,000 offer to Belanski for the ball, only to have it rebuffed in favor of the captivating auction.
The auction commences with a tantalizing “buy-it-now” price tag of $4.5 million, up for grabs until October 9. Should bidding reach $3 million before the specified date, the buy-it-now option will be snatched off the table, paving the way for the bidding war to persist until October 16.
As the high-stakes auction unravels, Matus’s legal skirmish injects a fresh layer of intrigue into the unfolding narrative encompassing one of the year’s most momentous sports memorabilia transactions. With collectors, baseball aficionados, and legal pundits poised at the edge of their seats, the outcome of the legal tussle will be closely monitored as the saga unfolds.
Strike your bid for the coveted baseball relic at Goldin Auctions and witness the showdown of the century in the realm of sports memorabilia.
