Ryan Wold almost had history in his hands.
Instead, he brushed her fingertips.
Vold was at Thursday’s Dodgers-Miami Marlins game at loanDepot Park, where Los Angeles superstar Shohei Ohtani became the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.
You may have seen Vold in Ohtani’s 50th home run video.He’s the guy who had two chances on top of the Marlins’ tank to hit the historic ball before it flew overboard to make someone else a very happy and possibly rich man.
“It went over us and I saw it bounce off. I tried to get it at that point, but it was a little bit off,” Wold told The Times in a phone interview Friday. “And then it flew off the table in front of me, and when it was there, I reached out and tried those tips (of my fingers). When it fell off the table, there were three people on it.”
“It’s a crazy moment because it happens so fast. I thought I had it, but I didn’t. And then another guy got it and by then it was too late to jump out and try to get into the fray.”
Asked if he thought he could have done more than catch the ball when it was so close, he laughed.
“Definitely. I guess I could have gone down, definitely hurt,” said Vold, a Palm Beach, Florida, resident who attended the game with a group of his Franklin Street real estate teammates.
“It was really amazing to be in that moment.”
That moment was just part of a memorable afternoon for Ohtani, who began the day with 48 homers and 49 stolen bases and finished with 51 homers and 51 steals. He went 6-for-6 with 10 runs and 17 total bases to help the Dodgers win 20-4 and capture their 12th National League postseason title, marking the first playoff appearance of Ohtani’s seven-year MLB career.
After the 50th ball got away from Wold, A crazy fight ensuedThe man who eventually emerged with him (Wold said he was in his 40s) was immediately removed by security. Darren Yema from cllct reported that the fan was taken to an undisclosed location where the league authenticated his ball.
The Dodgers declined to comment for this story. The Marlins and MLB did not respond to messages from The Times.
It’s not clear where the ball is. Ohtani said after the game that he didn’t get it. Craig Mish, senior baseball reporter for the Miami Herald, reported that the fan kept the ball don’t give it to the Dodgers.
This may be a wise financial decision. Brendan Wells, vice president of SVP Auctions in Laguna Niguel said its company believes the ball is worth “a half-million dollars, maybe more than it’s worth right now,” provided the owner acts quickly while Thursday’s events are still in progress.
Vold acknowledged that the ball was “very valuable,” but said he probably would have kept the note if he had entered it.
“My dad is a huge baseball fan and his brothers are, so I definitely wanted them to experience it because it’s such an important part of history,” Vold said.
He added: “I think something like this is unique. I mean, maybe I’ll eventually sell it, but my parents live in New Jersey, I live in Florida, so maybe I’ll give them a chance to get their hands on it, like that.”
