Broward teen sues over Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50th home run ball, claims it was stolen at Marlins game
By Sheldon Fox, Kathleen Ditton, Chantal Cook
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MIAMI, Florida (WSVN) — A judge overseeing a Broward County teen’s lawsuit against a sports auction house and two other people made a ruling that the Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50th home run ball can’t be sold, transferred or concealed at the upcoming auction.
Max Matus, who was celebrating his 18th birthday on Sept. 19, filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade County claiming the prized ball was stolen from his hands during the baseball game.
According to the lawsuit, Matus was sitting in left field at LoanDepot Park when Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hit his 50th home run of the season in the seventh inning.
The ball, marking a record-breaking moment in Major League Baseball, was headed directly toward Matus, who successfully caught it, according to the lawsuit. However, Matus alleges that shortly after securing the ball, defendant Chris Belanski forcibly pried it from his hand.
The complaint states that Belsanki wrapped his legs around Matus’s arm and used his hands to wrestle the ball away, an incident captured on video by fans at the game.
Belanski and another defendant, Kelvin Ramirez, reportedly appeared on social media after the game, claiming ownership of the ball and expressing intentions to sell it.
The ball, known as the “50/50 Ball,” is now in the possession of Goldin Auctions, LLC, a sports memorabilia auction house. Goldin Auctions has announced their plans to hold an auction on Friday with an opening bid of $500,000.
Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin appeared in a video posted online, locking the ball in a safe and confirming the upcoming auction.
“This is the actual 50th home run baseball hit by Shohei Ohtani,” said Goldin.
Matus is seeking an emergency injunctive relief to prevent the sale of the ball, claiming that he is the rightful owner and that the defendants used force to steal it from him.
During Thursday’s court hearing, the judge ruled that the defendants, along with Goldin Auctions, LLC, can not sell, conceal or transfer the ball until the next hearing on Oct. 10.
“The court is gonna have to make that determination based on video, photographs, evidence; did he have the ball in his hand, because if he did, that’s his ball,” said John Uustal, attorney for Matus.
Matus’s lawsuit also accuses Belanski of battery, conversion and trespass to chattel, while also holding Goldin Auctions accountable for allegedly facilitating the sale.
“This was supposed to be an unforgettable birthday for Max, but it turned into an unfortunate altercation,” the lawsuit reads.
Matus claims that the ball is irreplaceable and of significant value due to Ohtani’s record-breaking achievement.
The lawsuit claims that Matus is entitled to both the ball and damages, while also seeking to halt any attempts to sell it before ownership is determined by the court.
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