THE GREATEST PERFORMANCE INCLUDES A LUCKY FAN WHO KEPT OHTANI’S 50TH
And he should protect the ball with a safe, key and Secret Service — never mind, this was south Florida — and demand wealth for an unprecedented milestone that showcases Ohtani’s slugging and dashing
There was only one mistake in Shohei Ohtani’s revelational, hellbent experience. He was looking into “the dugout” when he could have peered into the outfield at loanDepot Park, which sure deserves an “L” after hosting greatness. He didn’t see what happened to his 50th Home Run ball Thursday.
How about the fan who retrieved it, after an intense scramble?
He took the milestone home, which is his right after he paid for a ticket. It’s his blessing after watching Ohtani hit three homers, drive in 10 runs and amass 17 total bases during a 6-for-6 domination called an all-time masterpiece in art, science and baseballkind.
Oh, he had a discussion with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were so wretched after Ohtani’s first home run this season that they all but shook down a man whose wife had the ball. The team wanted to “reward” Ambar Roman. If she said no, the ball wouldn’t be authenticated and would mean nothing. She finally gave in and accepted Ohtani’s autographed bat, ball and two caps at Dodger Stadium.
And if they thought Ohtani would greet them after the game? No meeting took place. “As a Dodger fan, I expected maybe a little bit more warmth, I should say, from them,” Roman said. “But it was really sad I needed to make a decision right then and there.” The couple was invited back to the ballpark for an on-field experience, while the team said it would review policies with security members.
So who can blame the dude for protecting the ball with a safe, key and the Secret Service — no, this was south Florida, forget it. He had the power thrust on Ohtani’s 50-50 afternoon, and if the stolen bases were protected, this fellow had the historic horsehide. Or, I should say, a ball produced by 21st-century technology, from leather made via Cargill dairy cows at a Tennessee tannery. Why should he relinquish it for a bat, ball and caps?
Why not ask who will pay the most for precious memorabilia? Aaron Judge’s 62nd homer was sold for $1.5 million two years ago. Way back when, before steroids ruined the moment, $3.005 million was paid for Mark McGwire’s 70th homer. Ohtani’s ball is worth huge money bags after it landed in the stadium’s sports lounge. Who knew what kind of in-house cocktail would be served? A frenzy involved one fan who extended a hand but couldn’t quite reach the ball.
“You got to dive right there,” a Bally Sports Florida announcer said. “You can’t short-arm. You got to dive.”
Some say Shohei Ohtani completed the best game ever. “That has to be the greatest baseball game of all-time,” teammate Gavin Lux said. Though the performance didn’t involve October heroics, we will grant consideration in deep conversations. It symbolized the slug-and-run triumphs of the best player we’ve seen. I will call it the greatest, OK? “The balls were being exchanged every time I came to bat,” he said, dealing with his emerging legend. Every ball should be exchanged in time.
No. 50 still can be authenticated, despite the Chavez Ravine farce. The fan should pursue his cash. No sums will be needed from loanDepot, and last we saw him, he was escorted toward his car by stadium security.
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Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.