Max Matus, a passionate 18-year-old baseball enthusiast, has sparked a legal frenzy in his attempt to prevent the auction of Shohei Ohtani’s notable 50th home run baseball, scheduled to kick off on Friday with bids anticipated to start at $500,000.
Matus initiated a legal battle by filing a lawsuit in Florida to halt the impending auction of the coveted baseball, which is currently in the possession of another fan, Chris Belanski. Alleging that the ball was unjustly seized from him during a game at loanDepot Park in Miami on September 19, Matus asserted that he initially had possession of the ball before Belanski forcefully snatched it away.
In the lawsuit, Matus claimed that while celebrating his 18th birthday at the game, he firmly gripped the ball with his left hand, only to have Belanski intervene and forcibly take it from him using his arm. Matus is now seeking legal intervention to prevent the auction and has requested that the ball be securely stored until the court makes a ruling on the matter.
Despite Matus’s legal actions, Goldin Auctions, the auction house in New Jersey responsible for the sale of the ball, intends to proceed with the auction. A Miami judge denied Matus’s plea for a temporary restraining order to halt the auction, allowing the sale to move forward as planned. In response to the lawsuit, Goldin Auctions stated to ESPN that they have reviewed the case and intend to proceed with the auction of the Ohtani 50/50 ball.
The 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County will provide an opportunity for Matus’s legal representatives to present their case before the auction concludes on October 16. Should they succeed, Matus may be entitled to a portion of the proceeds from the ball’s sale.
Goldin Auctions’ CEO, Ken Goldin, disclosed that Belanski reached out to them the day after Ohtani’s milestone game to arrange the auction. Despite an offer of $300,000 from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Belanski opted to proceed with the auction instead of selling the ball outright.
The auction commences with a “buy-it-now” price of $4.5 million, available until October 9. Should bids reach $3 million before that date, the buy-it-now option will be rescinded, and bidding will continue until October 16. As the auction progresses, Matus’s lawsuit injects a new layer of complexity into the saga of this significant sports memorabilia sale, attracting attention from collectors, baseball enthusiasts, and legal experts alike.
Follow the gripping auction saga at Goldin Auctions.
