Max Matus, an enthusiastic 18-year-old baseball aficionado, plunged headfirst into a legal skirmish to derail the impending auction of Shohei Ohtani’s 50th stupendous home run ball, scheduled to kick off this Friday. The ball, emblematic of Ohtani’s 50th powerful swing of the season, is poised to ignite a bidding war with a starting price of $500,000.
Matus ignited a legal firestorm by filing a lawsuit in Florida to bar the auction of the coveted baseball, currently nestled in the possession of fervent fan Chris Belanski. The lawsuit also casts a shadow over Belanski’s friend, Kelvin Ramirez, accusing these two of unjustly snatching the prized possession from Matus during the September 19 showdown at loanDepot Park in Miami. Describing the alleged incident, the lawsuit claims that Matus initially secured the ball but faced a forceful altercation as Belanski wrestled it away.
According to the lawsuit, Matus, celebrating his 18th birthday at the game, had firmly clasped the ball with his left hand when Belanski intervened and aggressively wrenched it away. Seeking to halt the auction, Matus has urged for the ball to be safeguarded in an agreed-upon secure location until the court delivers a verdict.
Despite the legal entanglements, Goldin Auctions, the auction house based in New Jersey entrusted with the sale, is steadfast in its plan to proceed with the auction. Despite Matus’s efforts, a Miami judge rebuffed his plea for a temporary restraining order that would have halted the auction, thus greenlighting the proceedings as initially scheduled. Goldin Auctions responded to the lawsuit by stating to ESPN, “We are aware of the case that has been filed. Having reviewed the allegations and images included, Goldin plans to proceed with the auction of the Ohtani 50/50 ball.”
The 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County has granted Matus’s legal team a platform to argue their case before the final gavel falls on the auction on October 16. A favorable outcome for Matus could potentially grant him a slice of the proceeds from the ball’s sale. Ken Goldin, the CEO of Goldin Auctions, disclosed that Belanski had reached out to them the day after Ohtani’s milestone hit to pave the way for the auction. Despite a $300,000 offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Belanski opted for the auction route over a direct sale.
The auction commences with a tantalizing “buy-it-now” tag of $4.5 million, accessible until October 9. Should the bids scale the $3 million mark before this deadline, the buy-it-now option will be removed, elongating the bidding spectacle until October 16. As the auction unfolds, Matus’s lawsuit adds an intriguing layer to the unfolding drama of one of the sports world’s most anticipated memorabilia sales. A captivated audience comprising collectors, baseball enthusiasts, and legal pundits will keenly monitor the developing legal saga.
The stakes are set high as the coveted baseball becomes the center of attention in a legal tussle, captivating onlookers and aficionados alike. Bid on the ball at Goldin Auctions and witness the spectacle unfold.
