18-year-old files lawsuit over ownership of Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50-50 ball, seeks to prevent auction
An 18-year-old, Max Matus, has initiated legal action regarding the ownership of the baseball associated with Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable achievement of joining the exclusive 50-50 club. On September 19, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star player accomplished a historic feat by hitting his 50th home run and stealing his 50th base during a resounding 20-4 victory against the Miami Marlins.
The baseball in question was listed for auction by Goldin, with initial bids set at $500,000. Despite this, Matus claims he is the legitimate owner of the ball and is requesting a ‘temporary injunction’ to stop any attempts to ‘conceal, abscond with, or sell’ it. Matus asserts that he attended the Dodgers versus Marlins game to celebrate his 18th birthday and caught the ball during the event.
According to the lawsuit, moments later, Chris Belanski—one of the three defendants named in the case, along with Goldin and Kelvin Ramirez—allegedly trapped Matus’ arm between his legs and forcibly snatched the 50-50 ball from Matus’ left hand. The filing states, “By doing so, Belanski unlawfully and aggressively seized control of the ball and was removed from stands by, with 5050 ball that Matus had held now in Belanski’s (illegitimate) possession.”
The lawsuit includes screenshots purportedly showing video evidence from various fans capturing the moment Belanski took the ball from Matus and raised it triumphantly. Both Belanski and Kelvin Ramirez have indicated on social media their intentions to sell the ball, as noted in the filing.
Goldin has announced their intention to continue with the auction despite the lawsuit. The auction is scheduled to commence on Friday at noon ET and will conclude on October 16. Matus’ legal representatives argue that he would suffer ‘irreparable harm’ if the 50-50 ball were sold, as it is a ‘one-of-a-kind item that cannot be substituted.’ It continues, “Once the 50-50 ball is sold, Matus will likely be unable to retrieve it, and no financial compensation would suffice to replace it.”
