Freddie Freeman’s World Series Ball Sparks Auction Frenzy

For years Dodger fans talked about Kirk Gibson, wondering when the next big moment at Dodger Stadium would be. Then Gibby met Freddie in Game 1 of the World Series, when Freddie Freeman smacked a Nestor Cortes fastball into the right field bleachers, securing baseball’s first-ever walk-off grand slam in a World Series game, a 1-0 lead for the Dodgers over the Yankees, and certain immortality for the rest of Freeman’s life.

Gibby’s ball was also sent into the right-field bleachers in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, almost to an identical location. The only difference was that 36 years ago, auctioning off the ball on the internet was not a thing.

Freddie’s ball sold at auction Saturday night for $1.56 million, trailing the sale of the ball Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge dropped in Game 5 of the same World Series, which sold for $43,510.

Laguna Niguel-based SCP Auctions received 22 worldwide bids for the infamous baseball. Interest in the prized possession prompted the auctioneers to extend the auction multiple times, finalizing it three hours after its original end time.

The baseball becomes the third-most expensive baseball ever sold, overtaking the $1.5 million attained for Aaron Judge’s record-breaking 62nd home run ball in 2022.

Ten-year-old Zachary Ruderman of Venice watched the baseball roll from the seat in front of him to his feet.

It fetched nearly $3 million less than the most expensive ball in sports history, the one hit by Shohei Ohtani that made him baseball’s first 50-50 player, with 50 HRs and 50 SBs. That ball sold for nearly $4.4 million to a Taiwanese investment firm.

Your Turn: What would you do if you caught a historic piece of Dodgers history in the form of a baseball? Tell us below in the comments!