It was a night for the record books at Dodger Stadium. Shohei Ohtani powered the Dodgers into the World Series with a jaw-dropping performance — three home runs in a single postseason game, the first pitcher ever to do it.
But for a few fans, the night became unforgettable for another reason: they each ended up with one of Ohtani’s historic baseballs.
Carlo Mendoza found the second home run ball — though not in the stands.
“Ohtani was up to bat… next thing you know, the ball was coming our way into the bushes,” he said.
Mendoza said he was near the concessions when the homer left the field and went over the stands, landing just nearly 500 feet outside the field. Because of that, the Dodgers can’t authenticate it just yet, leaving Mendoza hoping stadium footage can prove his find.
David Flores didn’t just find a ball — he caught one. Ohtani’s third homer of the night flew right into his hands.
“I had people come up to me immediately offering cash; $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000,” Flores said. But he turned every offer down. “I’m holding the baseball of baseball. This is life-changing.”
Experts agree.
Mike Keys of SPC Auctions, which sold last year’s World Series-winning Freddie Freeman baseball for $1.5 million, says Ohtani’s third homer ball could go for $3 to $5 million dollars. If all three home-run balls can be brought together for auction, it could be a record-breaking haul for the lucky trio of fans.
The first home run ball from that epic game belongs to Randy Johnson — though he’s staying quiet on his plans for now.
Source: NBC Los Angeles