Ball From Aaron Judge’s 62nd Home Run Sells for $1.5 Million

In an interview with ESPN that was posted on Nov. 17, Dave Baron, a lawyer for Youmans, said, “We’ve already had an offer for $3 million.” That was after J.P. Cohen, the president of Memory Lane, a dealer of collectibles, told The Associated Press in October that he had offered Youmans $2 million for the ball, describing the offer as “way above fair.”

The enthusiasm for Judge, combined with statements like that, led to sky-high expectations from the auction house.

“The ball has the potential to become the highest-priced baseball ever sold,” Goldin said in a telephone interview with The New York Times shortly before the auction went live on the company’s website. “Three million plus would be my estimate.”

Instead, Youmans, who is a financial adviser for Fisher Investments in Dallas, got half of that at the auction, which had six recorded bids, the final of which was for $1.25 million. Combined with a $250,000 buyer’s premium, that resulted in the final price. Youmans did not comment on the sale price in his statement.

“As this chapter comes to an end and I reflect on catching home run ball No. 62, I’ll always remember the kindness of the fans around me on that exciting night in Arlington,” he said. “It was the epitome of how sports brings humans together, and I’ll cherish that memory forever.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/sports/baseball/aaron-judge-62-ball-sold.html