AUCTION OF SHOHEI OHTANI 50/50 BALL TO PROCEED AMID LEGAL DISPUTE

An agreement reached Monday over the fate of the Shohei Ohtani 50/50 home run ball will allow the auction of that ball to proceed while the legal dispute over its ownership continues.

According to a statement from Goldin Auctions and lawyers for plaintiffs in the case, the agreement allows the auction house to continue receiving bids for the ball. Bidding as of Monday was $1.5 million, or $1.83 million with a buyer's premium. The money eventually paid for the ball will be placed in an account until the pending ownership litigation is resolved. Bidding is scheduled to close Oct. 22.

Two lawsuits have challenged who owns the ball. Max Matus, 18, filed a civil lawsuit in late September claiming he had possession of the ball and asking for a temporary injunction to halt the auction. Judge Spencer Eig of Florida's 11th Judicial Circuit Court did not grant the injunction. Instead, he scheduled an Oct. 10 hearing and ordered that the ball couldn't be sold before that date. Then a second fan, Joseph Davidov, filed suit claiming he was the rightful owner of the ball.

Goldin Auctions, in a statement Monday, said the parties involved in litigation agreed that the auction could continue as planned, "without any interference by the pending litigation." Goldin Auctions said, under the agreement, "all parties want the 50/50 ball to be auctioned by Goldin, and have agreed to convey any and all of their ownership interests in the 50/50 ball to the winner of the auction, giving the winner full assurance that they will receive free and clear title to the 50/50 ball."

A lawyer with the firm representing Matus confirmed the agreement, which was discussed during a brief hearing Monday in the Florida courtroom. Devon Workman of Workman Injury Law, representing Davidov, also confirmed the details of the agreement to ESPN.

Last week, ESPN asked several legal experts and lawyers involved in previous legal battles over home run ball ownership what issues might arise with Goldin putting the Ohtani ball up for auction while legal disputes play out. Those experts said controversy could affect the potential sale price and raise questions about the eventual clear title of the ball.

"It's difficult to try to figure out how to proceed, there's no perfect way," attorney John Uustal of the Kelley-Uustal law firm in Florida, which represents Matus, told ESPN. "The auction will proceed and whoever wins will have free and clear title. The dispute over ownership will continue in a regular lawsuit instead of an abbreviated, emergency fashion. The downside is the ball is going to get sold. It's the best way forward, all the parties agreed. ... [Judge Eig] asked us to get together to talk about it. [This] just resolves whether the auction can proceed; the lawsuit was still going to proceed either way. There's still got to be a full lawsuit with a jury trial over ownership."

With the auction agreement, the Oct. 10 hearing was canceled.

Both Davidov's and Matus's lawsuits say their respective plans would have been to keep the ball as a keepsake.

"We're grateful for the trust and support of all parties regarding the auction of the Shohei Ohtani 50/50 ball," Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin, said in a statement.

As of Monday, the $1.83 million sum for the Ohtani ball would rank it as the second most expensive baseball auctioned, beating Aaron Judge's 62nd home run ball from the 2022 season, which sold for $1.5 million in late 2022.

+ Dan Hajducky, ESPN

SHOHEI OHTANI FIRST 50/50 PLAYER IN MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY

Shohei Ohtani hits a three-run home run to become the first player in Major League Baseball history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

MIAMI -- Shohei Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to reach the 50/50 club on Thursday, and he did so in dominant fashion -- with three home runs and two stolen bases in a six-hit game that led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 20-4, postseason-clinching victory.

"It was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible. And, you know, it's something that I'm going to cherish for a very long time," Ohtani said through an interpreter.

Ohtani opened the game with a line-drive double off the wall in right-center field against Miami Marlins starter Edward Cabrera, then picked up his 50th steal of the season by swiping third base. A second-inning single was followed by stolen base No. 51. Ohtani then added a two-run double in the third -- before getting thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple -- and followed with a 438-foot home run into LoanDepot Park's second deck in the sixth for his 49th home run.

Ohtani came to bat again with runners on second and third and two outs in the seventh inning, prompting many to wonder whether the Marlins would pitch to him. They did -- and Ohtani delivered, taking a 1-2 curveball from Mike Baumann and lofting it over the fence in left-center field for his 50th home run of the season.

Ohtani roared as he made his way up the first-base line, then stepped out of the dugout for a curtain call after celebrating with teammates. He then giggled as he made his way back into the first-base dugout the next half-inning -- after clobbering a 440-foot home run off Marlins infielder Vidal Brujan.

"To be honest, I'm the one probably most surprised," Ohtani said. "I have no idea where this came from, but I'm glad that it was going well today."

Ohtani's three homers, six hits and 10 RBIs all set career highs. The 10 RBIs set a Dodgers record. He became the first player with three home runs and two stolen bases in a game since at least 1900 and the first player since RBIs became official in 1920 with 10 RBIs and five extra-base hits in a game. Ohtani also became the second player since at least 1901 with six hits in a game, including five for extra bases, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The man who secured a 40/40 season with a walk-off grand slam on Aug. 23 had found another way to reach history in grand fashion.

The Dodgers' convincing victory secured them another playoff spot. For Ohtani, it will be his first. The two-way star has played in 866 games without reaching the postseason, the most among active players.

Soon -- officially -- that will come to an end.

"Obviously I changed teams this year and my goal has always been to make it to the playoffs," Ohtani said. "It's something that I've really worked hard [for] and I'm really happy to make it, so now my goal is to be able to perform well in the playoff situations."