SHINY THING$ 0154 ✨

With only a couple of days left in one of the most well publicized auctions in the history of sports, the Shohei Ohtani 50th home run ball (which catapulted the Japanese slugger into the rarified air of 50 home runs / 50 stolen bases in a single season - something that has NEVER been done before) is currently over $2,000,000 on Goldin Auctions website.

Thats an absolutely mind boggling price, even with more than 48 hours left in regular bidding, making it the current 2nd most expensive ball of all time behind Mark McGuire’s 70th home run ball from the 1998 season which sold for $3M.

Will the Shohei 50/50 ball break that record and set a new benchmark? If we had to guess, probably, and in theory it should. 

Shohei is a rare 2-way player and has international appeal at a level we have never seen in the sport of baseball. Even with that, however, for any piece of sports memorabilia to eclipse the million dollar ceiling is no small feat. 

As the Dodgers continue their quest to secure their 8th World Series championship, the ramifications around this particular sale and the windfall for the owner (or in this case, owners) of the ball are filled with intrigue… too much to put into one email.

So this week, in the 154th installment of Shiny Thing$, we compiled some of the most interesting story lines around the last few weeks of Shohei and what may prove to be the most expensive baseball ever sold.

The Battle for Shohei’s record breaking 50/50 ball

A video breakdown of the hit, the scramble in the stands, and al the players involved - via ESPN MLB

The Civil Suit that claimed an 18 year old in the stands was the rightful owner

Fan claiming ownership of Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 home run ball files lawsuit to stop auction. Max Matus, 18, says the ball was 'forcefully taken away' from him during the September 19th game - via Yahoo

Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball can be sold, judge says. But who will pocket the cash?

The historic ball, which made the Dodgers superstar the first MLB player to have 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, is already on its way to fetching almost $2 million. It remains to be seen who will pocket all that cash - via the LA Times

Shohei Ohtani's Former Interpreter Gets New Date in Court

Shohei’s close friend and former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was charged with multiple counts of fraud for stealing millions of dollars from one of the most famous athletes on the planet and using it to gamble on baseball. His sentencing was set to be handed down on the same day as Game 1 of the World Series - via Newsweek

Despite all of Ohtani's buzz, his sneakers are still sitting on shelves

When Shohei signed his sneaker endorsement deal, he didn’t go with Nike or Adidas… he chose New Balance, a brand that has taken over the lifestyle space over the last 2 years. But Shohei’s international stardom and a strong brand aren’t enough to move the first shipment of his signature shoe - via SI Kicks

Ohtani Is Driving Unbelievable Television Ratings in Japan

In one of the best years for television ratings for Major League Baseball’s postseason, there’s an even bigger draw for 10s of millions of fans in Japan - via Sports Illustrated

Until Next Week…