Ohtani 50-50 ball on auction despite dispute

The ball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his 50th home run will be up for auction beginning on Sept 27, despite a lawsuit filed the previous day by a Florida man who claims the souvenir was wrested from him.

Max Matus sought an injunction to stop the auction, scheduled to be conducted by Goldin Auctions till Oct 16.

John Uustal, Matus' lawyer who filed the suit, told ESPN on Sept 26: "The judge asked us to try to work it out. We were asking for an emergency injunctive relief, saying, 'If the ball is sold, there's no way to put the horse back in the barn and make it disappear' - and there would be irreparable harm, so, we want to maintain the status quo."

The judge agreed to hold a hearing before the auction's close, Uustal told ESPN.

"So, as long it was absolutely clear that the ball could not actually be sold - which it now is, by court order - until after this hearing, then we were agreeable to that," Uustal said.