The historic ball with which Shohei Otani scored 50-50 points will be auctioned off.

The coveted Shohei Ohtani 50-50 home run ball has been consigned to Goldin Collectibles Marketplace and will go on auction Friday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star is the only player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season. He hit three home runs and stole two bases in the same game against the Miami Marlins on September 19, setting a baseball record.

“This was one of the easiest (shipments) ever,” Ken Goldin, Goldin’s founder and CEO, told ESPN. “Otani (50) on Thursday, literally on Friday we heard from the guy, he contacted Goldin himself on social media, sent a security guard to Miami on Monday with a Goldin representative, met with him, and came back on Monday.”

For now, the consignor has chosen to remain anonymous, though photos of him have appeared online. Goldin says he has not spoken to another auction house: “This is one of those cases where our reputation for getting the highest price on hot items on the market played a role… Honestly, we had no competition at all.”

Fox Sports 640’s Andy Slater reported that the Dodgers initially offered the fan who caught Ohtani’s 50th home run $300,000. ESPN could not immediately reach the Dodgers for comment. “We had an offer from the Dodgers and they turned it down,” Goldin confirmed.

The opening bid with Goldin, now owned by eBay, is $500,000. “Prospective buyers will have the opportunity to purchase the baseball outright for $4.5 million exclusively from September 27 to October 9; however, if the bid reaches $3 million before October 9, the private purchase option will no longer be available, and interested parties will have to compete and bid for the baseball.”

Bidding will be extended at 10pm EST on October 16th.

“My view was that a fast-track auction was best,” Goldin said. “It came at the right time; the Dodgers are heading to the playoffs, and Otani could easily become the most valuable player, so let’s do it while Otani is on everyone’s mind — and what was very important to the consignor was the global reach that Goldin and eBay have. It’s certainly possible that someone outside the United States could win this game.”

The ball shows scratches and abrasions on the surface. The panel below the “Official Major League Baseball” seal has the MLB Batter logo scratched off and a MLB approved hologram attached to the baseball.

The current record for a baseball is $3.05 million paid for Mark McGwire’s home run ball No. 70 in 1999 by comic book creator and McFarlane Toys mogul Todd McFarlane. McFarlane told The Athletic in 2022 that he owns Barry Bonds’ home run ball No. 73 from the 2001 season as well as Sammy Sosa’s home run ball No. 66 from 1999.

In late 2022, the No. 62 ball with which Aaron Judge broke the American League record, also with Goldin, sold for $1.5 million. Auctioneer Corey Youmans acquired the ball with which Judge broke the record at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas, turned down a $3 million bid for the ball and put it up for auction. The $1.5 million paid for the No. 62 ball remains the second most expensive baseball ever sold at auction.

“I think Otani is a unique athlete, like no other in baseball before and we may never see him again in baseball,” Goldin said. “This guy can steal 60 bases and hit a triple, and let’s not forget that when he’s healthy, he’s a Cy Young-caliber player.”

“So, I think he’s a unique individual and a talent out of this world. He’s a complete player and he plays in Hollywood. This is the perfect scenario, he’s the perfect baseball player, and he’s going to be the face of Major League Baseball for the next 10-plus years. What he can accomplish between now and the time he retires may never happen again.”