Shohei Ohtani's '50-50' baseball sells for record £3.39m at auction - BBC Sport

The ball struck by LA Dodgers hitter Shohei Ohtani when he secured a record-breaking 50th home run sells for £3.39m at auction.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Shohei Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024

The ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani for his 50th home run of the Major League Baseball season has sold for a record £3.4m ($4.4m) at auction.

The Japanese hitter, 30, became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season during his side's match against the Miami Marlins on 19 September.

The £3.4m paid by the unknown buyer is the most a sports ball has ever fetched at auction.

The previous record paid at auction for a baseball was the £2.3m ($3m) paid in 1999 for Mark McGwire's record-breaking ball from the 1998 MLB season.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/baseball/articles/c74ljln1gk9o

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