Los Angeles Dodgers staffers were reportedly aggressive and unfairly harsh in their negotiations to the lucky fan who caught Shohei Ohtani’s special home run ball on Wednesday night.
Ohtani hit his first home run in a Dodger uniform in Wednesday’s 5-4 win over the archrival San Francisco Giants. Dodgers fan Ambar Roman caught Ohtani’s ball, but the celebration was quickly soured once she was approached by Dodgers staffers.
As many baseball fans know, teams will often offer lucrative packages to a fan who catches a home run ball of special value. But in this case,, Dodgers employees used aggressive negotiating tactics to convince Roman and her husband, Alexis Valenzuela, to give up the ball.
Speaking to Sam Blum of The Athletic about her experience, Roman stated that they were “pressured” by Dodgers security personnel to give up the baseball. Staffers even threatened a refusal to authenticate the ball, which would greatly devalue it:
“In this case, though, Roman and Valenzuela say the security staff separated them, pressured them, and left them little choice but to hand over the baseball for what they considered a low-ball offer. The Dodgers initially dangled two caps signed by Ohtani in exchange for a ball that an auction house representative told The Athletic would be worth at least $100,000.
Roman said the hardball tactics by team officials included the threat of refusing to authenticate the baseball if she decided to take it home. This was no trivial matter: A lack of authentication could significantly reduce the ball’s value, and place the onus on Roman to prove its authenticity…
They left Dodger Stadium with two signed hats, a signed bat and ball, a slight bump after the opening offer of two signed hats.”
According to Roman, they never got to speak with Ohtani. But through interpreter Will Ireton, the two-way superstar stated, “I was able to talk to the fan, and was able to get it back.”
Blum was also told through a Dodgers’ team employee that the organization, is “open to a further conversation with the fan about the transaction.”
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The Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a record $700 million contract in December, though $680 million of it was deferred. Ohtani will be paid that remaining amount beginning in 2034 and through 2043.
Shohei Ohtani Has Come As Advertised
Ohtani is off to a strong start for the Dodgers, batting .270 with one home run and four RBI. Having swept the Giants, the Dodgers enter play this weekend against the Chicago Cubs with a 7-2 record.
The two-way sensation will not be pitching this year as he continues to recover from elbow surgery, but his bat has nonetheless made a significant impact in the Dodger lineup. There simply isn’t a better “big three” in baseball at this time than Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Also Read: REPORT: Bookie At Center Of Betting Scandal Told Others That Shohei Ohtani Was His Client
