Shohei Ohtani He hit his first home run this Thursday in uniform of the Dodgers. The ball was caught by Ambar Román, a Latina fan sitting in right field at Chavez Ravine.
“Sitting in the pavilion, you always hope you can catch a ball,” Roman told TheAthletic Thursday. “But never in a million years would I have thought it would be his ball.”
According to the report, in just minutes after catching the ball, the The situation became chaotic for Román and her husband Alexis Valenzuela.
Both were taken by Dodger Stadium security for negotiation and returning the ball to Shohei Ohtani.
It is customary that in important home runs, the player will generally exchange memories and an encounter with the player in exchange for the ball that represents a significant personal achievement.
Román and Valenzuela commented that security separated them and pressured them to hand over the ball in exchange for a low offer.
The Dodgers offered two signed caps in exchange for the ball. According to The Athletic, this authenticated ball could be worth more than $100,000.
The fan explained that among the tactics used by the security team were that they would not authenticate the ball, so it would lose much of its value. In the end she ended up accepting the deal.
“We are not trying to extort anyone. It’s not that we are hungry for money,” Valenzuela said. “It’s a special moment, it’s a special ball. I just think it’s fair may he be equally rewarded.”
In the end, the couple walked away with two signed caps, a bat and a ball signed by Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani’s interpreter claims that he met the fan, the couple denies
After the match, according to the interpreter, Shohei Ohtani spoke with the fan and got the ball back.
“I was able to talk to the fan and I was able to get him back,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “Obviously it is a very special ball, there are many feelings towards it, “I am very grateful that he is back.”
The Athletic interviewed the couple of fans and they assured that they did not speak with Ohtani after exchanging the ball.
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