Max Matus, an 18-year-old devoted baseball fan, has sparked a legal storm in his quest to halt the upcoming auction of Shohei Ohtani’s monumental 50th home run ball, slated to kick off this Friday with an anticipated starting bid of $500,000.
Matus has taken legal action in Florida to prevent the auction from proceeding, arguing that the ball, now in the possession of fellow fan Chris Belanski, was essentially snatched from him during the game on September 19 at loanDepot Park in Miami. In his lawsuit, Matus contends that he had initially grabbed hold of the ball, celebrating his 18th birthday at the time, only for Belanski, assisted by Kelvin Ramirez, to wrest it away through force.
Seeking to block the auction, Matus is pushing for the ball to be kept in a secure location agreed upon by all parties until the court reaches a verdict. Despite his efforts, the New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions, tasked with selling the historic ball, is determined to forge ahead with the auction, as a Miami judge denied Matus’s bid for a temporary restraining order, allowing the sale to proceed as planned.
Responding to the legal dispute, Goldin Auctions issued a statement to ESPN affirming their decision to move forward with the auction, emphasizing their review of the case and public footage from the game. The 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County will entertain arguments from Matus’s legal team before the auction concludes on October 16, potentially entitling Matus to a portion of the proceeds should they prevail.
Goldin Auctions CEO Ken Goldin disclosed that Belanski swiftly reached out to them the day following Ohtani’s record-breaking feat, arranging for the auction to take place. Despite being offered $300,000 by the Los Angeles Dodgers for the ball, Belanski opted to proceed with the auction instead.
Initial bids for the prized ball will commence with a “buy-it-now” option set at $4.5 million until October 9. Should bids reach $3 million prior to this date, the buy-it-now choice will be rescinded, extending the bidding process until October 16.
As the auction unfolds, Matus’s legal challenge injects a fresh layer of drama into the unfolding narrative of one of this year’s most noteworthy sports memorabilia sales. Enthusiasts, collectors, and legal pundits are all captivated by the ongoing developments in this high-profile case.
