Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam ball from Game 1 of the World Series has fetched an impressive $1.56 million at auction.
According to a statement from SCP Auctions, the bidding extended into the late hours of Saturday night. The identity of the buyer remains undisclosed.
Freeman, the star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, stepped to the plate with a sprained right ankle, facing a loaded bases scenario with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning against the New York Yankees. He hit the first pitch from Nestor Cortes a remarkable 413 feet, marking the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
The Dodgers secured a 6-3 victory in that game and went on to claim their eighth World Series title in five games, with Freeman earning the prestigious title of World Series MVP.
The historic ball landed in the right-field pavilion, where it was picked up by 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman, a young fan from Los Angeles. The ball rolled from the seat in front of him to his feet, and in a moment of excitement, he batted it to his father, Nico, who quickly secured it.
Earlier that day, Zachary had been told he would leave school early for a braces appointment, only to be surprised with a trip to Dodger Stadium instead.
This auction marks the second ball associated with the Dodgers to sell this season. Previously, a ball hit by Shohei Ohtani, which made him the first player in major league history to achieve at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season, sold for nearly $4.4 million, setting a record for the sale of any sports ball.
