The Cost of Greatness: Auctioning Baseballs Associated with History-Making Moments
Auctioning Moments in Time
You could buy a baseball associated with greatness: the ball Shohei Ohtani hit for the 50th home run of his unprecedented 50-50 season, or the ball Freddie Freeman hit for the first walkoff grand slam in postseason history.
A Price Tag for Failure
Or you could buy a baseball associated with failure: the ball two-time most valuable player Aaron Judge dropped in the fateful fifth inning, on the night the Dodgers clinched the World Series championship. The Ohtani ball sold for $4.4 million. The Freeman ball is up for auction through Saturday; the high bid as of Monday afternoon was $500,000.
MLB Auctions Program Offers Memorable Moments
The sellers for those baseballs: the fans that caught them. The seller for this baseball: Major League Baseball itself, offering an assortment of authenticated memorabilia from the 2024 World Series through its MLB Auctions program.
The Fateful Fifth Inning
In Game 5 of the World Series, the Dodgers trailed 5-0 entering the fifth inning. After Kiké Hernández singled to lead off the inning, Tommy Edman hit a routine fly ball to center field. Judge slowed up to catch the ball but then dropped it. The Dodgers proceeded to load the bases with none out, but the next two batters struck out. If Judge had caught that ball, the Yankees would have been out of the inning with the shutout intact. Instead, the Dodgers rallied to tie the score, en route to a 7-6 victory.
The Ball’s Current State
The ball, listed for auction as “Dropped Fly Ball by Aaron Judge,” had attracted 64 bids as of 5 p.m. PST Monday, with a top bid of $12,050. The auction closes Thursday.
Conclusion
As these baseballs go to auction, they serve as a reminder of the dramatic moments that define a season or a series. While some may see them as simple pieces of leather and thread, others will treasure them as symbols of the greatness and the heartbreak of the game.
FAQs
Q: Who is selling the baseball?
A: The seller for the baseball is Major League Baseball itself, through its MLB Auctions program.
Q: What is the starting bid for the Aaron Judge ball?
A: There is no starting bid. The ball is auctioned off with a starting bid of $0, allowing bidders to submit a bid at any point until the auction closes.
Q: When does the auction for the Aaron Judge ball close?
A: The auction closes on Thursday, the day after it opens.
Q: Will I receive the ball directly if I win the auction?
A: Yes, all winning bidders will receive the ball directly from Major League Baseball.
