Freeman's World Series grand slam ball nets $1.56M at auction
The baseball Freddie Freeman hit for the first-ever walk-off grand slam in World Series history sold for $1.56 million Saturday to become the third most expensive game-used ball of all time, SCP Auctions announced.
Zachary Ruderman, 10, helped his father secure the ball on Oct. 25 after the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman ended Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
"When the ball rolled from the seat in front of Zachary to the ground at his feet, he batted it to his dad, Nico, who jumped on it ahead of several other fans scrambling after it," SCP Auctions said in a press release.
The only two game-used balls to go for a higher price are Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball ($4.392 million) from this year - he became the first player in MLB history with a 50-homer, 50-steal campaign - and Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball ($3.005 million) from 1998.
Freeman ended up winning World Series MVP honors after the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games.