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The Dodgers fan who caught Shohei Ohtani’s historic home run ball is beginning to realize that she might have gotten ripped off.
During the Giants-Dodgers game on Wednesday night, Ohtani hit an absolute bomb to center field for his first home run as a Dodger.
Shohei Ohtani crushes his first home run as a Dodger! pic.twitter.com/Riq4vqqeDr
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2024
One lucky female Dodgers fan was able to come up with a ball.
The luckiest fan in the world comes up with the ball after Shohei Ohtani’s first home run at Dodger Stadium 👏
🎥: @SportsNetLA pic.twitter.com/wBBdYCiWlP
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) April 4, 2024
It was later reported that the fan received two signed hats, a signed bat, and a ball.
The fan is now telling The Athletic that she felt pressured to take the Dodgers’ “lowball” offer in exchange for the ball, and her husband feels she was taken advantage of.
Via The Athletic
In this case, though, Roman and Valenzuela say the security staff separated them, pressured them, and left them little choice but to hand over the baseball for what they considered a low-ball offer.
Roman said the hardball tactics by team officials included the threat of refusing to authenticate the baseball if she decided to take it home. This was no trivial matter: A lack of authentication could significantly reduce the ball’s value, and place the onus on Roman to prove its authenticity.
We’re not trying to extort anyone. It’s not that we’re money hungry,” Valenzuela said. “It’s just that it’s a special moment, it’s a special ball. I just think it’s fair for it to be equally rewarded.” “I was just disappointed that a team that I hold so dear pulled a quote-unquote quick one on us.”
“They really took advantage of her,” Valenzuela said. “There were a bunch of (security) guys around her. They wouldn’t let me talk to her or give her any advice. There was no way for us to leave. They had her pretty much cornered in the back.”
According to experts, Ohtani’s home run ball is worth about $100k, and the items the couple received from the Dodgers are worth $1k each.
This home run ball’s value, at minimum, is $100,000, said Chris Ivey, director of sports auctions at Heritage Auctions. Heritage has experience evaluating Ohtani memorabilia. He said the five items that the Dodgers gave the fans would be valued at around $1,000 each.
It is also worth noting that the couple never got to meet Ohtani in exchange for the ball.
We’ll have to wait and see if the Dodgers do the right thing and give the couple a better offer now that their story is going viral.