LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — The memorable ball from Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series is set to go under the hammer soon.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman, despite playing on a sprained right ankle, came to bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning against the New York Yankees last month. Freeman hit the first pitch thrown by Nestor Cortes, propelling it 413 feet for a historic grand slam that marked the first of its kind in World Series history.
“That’s as good as it gets right there,” Freeman remarked after the game, for which he was honored as World Series MVP.
The Dodgers secured a 6-3 victory in that game and went on to clinch the franchise’s eighth World Series title in just five games.
“It might be the greatest baseball moment I’ve ever witnessed,” commented Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, adding, “and I’ve seen some great ones.”
The ball came to rest in the right-field pavilion, where it was picked up by 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman. The ball rolled from the seat in front of him to his feet, and he hit it to his father, Nico, who then safely secured it.
Interestingly, the fifth-grader had been informed that he was being taken out of school early to have his braces removed. Instead, his parents treated him to a game at Dodger Stadium.
This auction marks the second ball related to the Dodgers to be sold this season. Earlier, a ball hit by Freeman’s teammate, Shohei Ohtani, which made him the first player in baseball history to achieve at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, fetched close to $4.4 million at auction. It was purchased by a Taiwanese investment firm and is currently showcased in Taiwan, setting a record for the highest price paid for any sports ball.
SCP Auctions will host the sale of Freeman’s grand slam ball from December 4-14.
David Kohler, the president of SCP Auctions, expressed confidence that the ball is “easily worth seven figures.”
