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We’re not ruling out that Shohei Ohtani can hit a ball to Taiwan, but the man’s stardom is certainly strong enough.
The fate of the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s 50-50 home run ball was revealed Wednesday when it was put on public display in the Taipei 101 building, three weeks after it sold for a record-shattering $4.4 million at auction in the United States.
The buyer was later revealed to be Taiwanese investment firm UC Capital. The firm is a tenant of Taipei 101, which was once the tallest building in the world and still ranks as one of the tallest in Asia.
Until March 2, 2025, the ball will be available for all to see at an exhibition, behind a glass case and under strict guard.
Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 home run ball was finally unveiled today. ⚾️🔥
It was bought by a Taiwanese investment company called “UC Capital.” 🇹🇼
Currently, the ball will be on display at the observatory inside Taipei 101 in Taiwan, from today until March 2, 2025. #ShoheiOhtani pic.twitter.com/uIzWORTJ9Y— Jeffery Chen (@jefferychen8925) November 13, 2024
The card under the ball:
“Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohel Ohtani made history in September 2024, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. According to the Goldin Auctions website on October 23, 2024, Ohtani’s 50th home run ball sold for an astounding $4,392,000 USD (approximately 142 million NTD). The winning bid was placed by a tenant of TAIPEI 101 in Taiwan, making this commemorative ball a prized collectible for fans worldwide.”
The Ohtani ball is the most valuable souvenir from one of the greatest seasons in MLB history. Unable to pitch after undergoing UCL surgery last year, Ohtani instead focused on his baserunning and became the first player to ever hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a single season, finishing with 54 homers and 59 steals.
That campaign earned Ohtani his first World Series ring, All-Star honors, Silver Slugger honors and, most likely, the NL MVP award. It was certainly a big deal in the Eastern Hemisphere, with more Japanese viewers tuning in for the World Series than Americans.
Per auctioneer Ken Goldin, there were Japanese bidders who were “heavily competitive” in winning the 50-50 ball at auction. Bidding for the ball was frenetic overall, with four different countries involved across 40 bids, 15 of them in the final night.
The winner ended up being the Taiwanese company, and you would imagine there are some Ohtani superfans trying to figure out if they can visit Taipei right now.