LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — A monumental moment in baseball history was recently auctioned off as Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam ball from Game 1 of the World Series fetched an impressive $1.56 million.
The auction, held by SCP Auctions, extended into the late hours of Saturday night, with the details released in a statement the following day. Notably, the identity of the winning bidder remains undisclosed.
Freeman, who plays first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, achieved this remarkable feat while battling a sprained right ankle. With the bases full and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning against the New York Yankees, he launched the first pitch from pitcher Nestor Cortes an astounding 413 feet, marking the first walk-off grand slam recorded in World Series history.
Following Freeman’s historic hit, the Dodgers secured a 6-3 victory in the game and ultimately claimed their eighth World Series championship after a five-game series. His performance throughout the series earned him the title of World Series MVP.
The ball itself found a new home in the right-field pavilion, expertly caught by ten-year-old Zachary Ruderman, a resident of Los Angeles. As the ball rolled down from another seat, it came to rest at his feet, where he promptly handed it to his father, Nico, who quickly seized the moment.
Interestingly, Zachary had been under the impression that he was heading home early from school to have his braces removed. However, in an exciting twist, his family took him directly to Dodger Stadium instead.
This auction marks the second instance this season where a ball associated with the Dodgers has been sold. Earlier, a ball hit by Shohei Ohtani that made him the first player in major league history to achieve at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season sold for nearly $4.4 million, establishing a new record for the auction of a sports ball.
