Florida teen files lawsuit, claims he caught Shohei Ohtani 50th home run ball

A Florida man's lawsuit has temporarily stopped Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball from being sold at auction after saying it was stolen from him moments after he secured it.

Max Matus's representatives say their client gained possession of the Los Angeles Dodgers star's historic ball on Sept. 19 — the man's 18th birthday — before Chris Belanski took it away. The ball has since been turned over to Goldin Auctions, a New Jersey-based auction house specializing in trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia.

The Miami-Dade County judge said in an emergency hearing on Thursday that the motion for a temporary injunction was deferred, and an evidentiary hearing will be held Oct. 10. The order says the auction can start, but the house "will not sell, conceal or transfer" the ball pending the court's ruling.

Matus' initial filing requested a court order declaring that he is entitled to the ball and requests a jury trial on his claims. It also alleged unlawful battery against Belanski.

Kelvin Ramirez also is named in the lawsuit after claiming ownership of the ball. Ramirez attended the game with Belanski. Goldin Auctions, Belanski and Ramirez are named in the lawsuit filed by John Uustal, the attorney representing Matus.

Ohtani's home run against the Miami Marlins gave him 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season, making him the first member of the 50-50 club.

The opening bid for the ball is $500,000. There is black scuffing and abrasions on the white leather ball, which was authenticated by Major League Baseball.

"Ohtani is truly one-of-a-kind, and the 50-50 record may be his crowning achievement," said Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of the auction house. "This is a piece of baseball history that fans and historians around the world will remember for decades to come."

WATCH | Dodgers' Ohtani 1st player to go 50-50 in MLB history:

Dodgers star Ohtani becomes first player to go 50-50 in MLB history

2 months ago

Duration 8:17

CBC News Network's Heather Hiscox is joined by Los Angeles Dodgers team historian Mark Langill to discuss Shohei Ohtani's remarkable achievement.

Franco charged with sexual abuse of minor

A judge in the Dominican Republic on Thursday ordered shortstop Wander Franco to stand trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, per reports.

From his courtroom in Puerto Plata, Judge Pascual Valenzuela ruled there was enough evidence against Franco to warrant a trial. No date was set for what will be a bench trial.

Franco, 23, was two-thirds of the way through an all-star season for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 when he was placed on administrative leave last August as officials in the Dominican Republic launched an investigation into allegations of a sexual relationship with a minor. He has not returned to the Rays.

Charges were filed this past July, and the Rays moved Franco to the restricted list, which came without pay. Under an agreement reached with the MLB Players' Association, Franco would be paid his salary while on administrative leave, but he would not receive any money should he be charged.

According to ESPN, Franco faces up to 20 years in prison for charges of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation against a minor and human trafficking.

He is also under investigation by Major League Baseball.

Franco signed an 11-year, $182-million US contract extension with the Rays in November 2021. He was due to earn $2.45 million in each of 2023 and 2024, with the value rising annually until the yearly pay reached $25.45 million in 2028 and through the life of the contract.

Also Thursday, ESPN reported the father of the girl involved in the case reached an agreement to withdraw a complaint he had filed against Franco. Terms were not disclosed.

Sac fly lifts Tigers to 5th straight win

Justyn-Henry Malloy's eighth-inning sacrifice fly helped the Detroit Tigers rally from a 3-0 deficit to move closer to the post-season with a 4-3 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon.

"We do believe in what we can accomplish," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "Whether that's magic, whether that's momentum, whether that's mojo, whether that's vibe, whatever, we love it and we want more of it."

Detroit, which has won five straight, is tied with Kansas City for the second and third American League wildcard spots, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins.

"We're bringing the energy right now," said rookie Colt Keith, who drove in two runs and scored another. "We have such a good team. I love this group."

The Tigers trailed 3-2 with one out in the eighth, but Riley Greene singled off Garrett Cleavinger (7-5) and Matt Vierling drew a walk.

Keith tied the game with an RBI single, bringing up Malloy, the last position player on the Tigers bench -- to pinch hit for Kerry Carpenter. He lifted a fly ball to medium centre-field and Vierling easily beat Jose Siri's throw.

Beau Brieske (4-4) got the win with two innings of relief. Jason Foley pitched the ninth for his 27th save.

Detroit remains at home for three games against the Chicago White Sox, knowing two wins will clinch the franchise's first post-season spot in 10 years. They have not announced their rotation for the final series, since it will depend on the playoff race.