Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction November 2024
The first player in the Major League's since Babe Ruth to both pitch and hit on a routine basis, Shohei Ohtani's meteoric rise through baseball history has been in equal measure astonishing and mystifying. Becoming a star in his native Japan before coming over to North America and first playing with the Los Angeles Angels before joining the Dodgers, Ohtani would win the American League MVP Award in both 2021 and 2023, was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2018, won the Silver Slugger in 2021 and 2023 and won the American League Hank Aaron Award in 2023. The MLB home run leader in both 2023 and 2024, on September 19th, 2024 against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani set multiple MLB and Dodgers franchise records. In six at-bats, Ohtani had six hits—a single, two doubles, and three home runs, for ten (10) RBI and stole two (2) bases. He became the first and only player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. He also became the sixteenth (16th) player in MLB history to reach ten (10) or more RBI in a single game, and the first (1st) since July 7, 2018. He also broke the Dodgers records for RBI in a game, passing James Loney and Gil Hodges (9), and home runs in a season, passing Shawn Green (49). Multiple media outlets and sports reporters called it "one of the greatest" single-game performances in history. Offered here, we present this ball pitched to Ohtani during Los Angeles' April 26th, 2024 contest against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto. A Rawlings made "Official Major League Baseball" offering that features the facsimile signature of commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. underneath the "official" designation, the Rawlings logo is seen above while the MLB logo is found underneath. Having been mud rubbed and designated for game action, the ball displays good use with light scuffing over all the stamped logos and a large dirt scuff over the bottom panel from hitting the dirt. Having been authenticated by Major League Baseball, their hologram numbered "VT121611" is found affixed just below the aforementioned Rawlings logo.
Used during Ohtani's at-bat in the top of the third (3rd) inning, and pitched to him by Toronto hurler Trevor Richards, the ball was used for two (2) pitches, with the first being a called strike off of a 79.2 MPH changeup while the second (2nd) being called a ball off a ball in the dirt which was also a changeup thrown at 78.3 MPH. The ball was acquired directly from the Blue Jays and comes with its original box as well.
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