Second fan files lawsuit claiming ownership of Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50-50 baseball. The most recent legal action was initiated by Joseph Davidov in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court, with defendants including Chris Belanski, Kelvin Ramirez, Max Matus, and Goldin Auctions. Notably, Belanski is the individual who exited the stadium with the coveted baseball, while Matus and Ramirez have also asserted their claims to ownership of the ball.
Ohtani made baseball history by becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, achieving this remarkable feat on September 19 during a game against the Miami Marlins. The bidding for the baseball through Goldin Auctions has reached an impressive $1.464 million.
Due to a ruling connected to Matus’ lawsuit, the sale of the ball is on hold until a hearing set for October 10.
In his lawsuit, Davidov asserts that he successfully “firmly and completely grabbed the ball in his left hand while it was on the ground, successfully obtaining possession of the 50/50 ball.”
The legal documents further allege that “an unknown fan wrongfully jumped over the railing, leaped onto the Plaintiff and Plaintiff’s arm, attacking the Plaintiff and causing the 50/50 Ball to come loose and roll into the hands of Defendant Chris Belanski.”
Matus, a Florida resident celebrating his 18th birthday, claims in his lawsuit that he had possession of the Ohtani ball before it was taken from him by Belanski. As part of the evidence presented by Matus’ attorney on October 10, video footage capturing the chaotic scramble for the ball in the stands will be shown.
“Max successfully grabbed the 50/50 ball in his left hand and intended to keep it,” the lawsuit states. “Unfortunately, a few seconds later, defendant Belanski — described as a muscular older man — trapped the plaintiff’s arm between his legs and wrested the 50/50 ball away from Max.”
