Freddie Freeman was responsible for one of the most memorable moments in Los Angeles Dodgers postseason history when he hit a walk-off grand slam against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.
The ball landed in the right-field pavilion and was retrieved by 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman, who attended the game with his parents. It was up for bidding from Dec. 4-14 through SCP Auctions in Southern California and sold for an impressive $1.56 million.
A flurry of last-minute bidding activity extended the auction two and a half hours past the original deadline.
The ball was not able to be authenticated by MLB due to the game’s hectic ending. However, it has the official 2024 World Series logo on it and purported scuff mark from Freeman’s bat.
Furthermore, Sports Investors Authentication was able to make a conclusive photo-match due to the plethora of images and videos that captured the moment of Ruderman retrieving the ball.
Additionally, Zachary’s father, Nico, passed a polygraph test and provided a notarized letter that verified the authenticity of the ball.
Auction proceeds will benefit the Ruderman family with an emphasis on Zachary’s future education.
The auction of Freeman’s walk-off grand slam ball followed record-breaking sale of Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball that made him the first player to join the 50-50 club.
The ball was sold for nearly $4.4 million to a Taiwanese investment firm last month and is now on display in the country.
Where Freddie Freeman’s grand slam ball ranks
The $1.56 million total makes Freeman’s grand slam ball the third-highest purchase price for a home run.
It’s bested only by the home run ball that put Shohei Ohtani into the 50-50 club, which sold for $4.392 million, and Mark McGwire’s 70th homer from the 1998 season that reached $3.05 million.
Just behind Freeman’s is Aaron Judge’s American League-record 62nd home run, which garnered $1.5 million via auction in 2022.
Ruderman family’s hopes grand slam ball
When it was announced that Freeman’s walk-off grand slam ball would go up for auction, the Ruderman family had a special request to the collector who purchases it.
“Our family hopes the baseball will be displayed in Dodgers stadium so all Dodgers and baseball fans can view a very special piece of history for the City of Los Angeles,” the Ruderman family said in a statement.
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