During Wednesday night’s game, lifelong Dodgers fan Ambar Roman found herself in a surreal situation when she snagged Shohei Ohtani’s first home run as a Dodger. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Ohtani hit a ball 430 feet into right-center field, helping the team secure a 5-4 victory.
After catching the historic ball, Roman was approached by security who wanted to speak with her. They explained that they wanted to reward her for catching the ball and escorted her near the bullpen to talk with team officials, separating her from her husband. Roman was informed that Ohtani wanted the ball back and was willing to trade for it.
Initially, Roman had hoped to have Ohtani sign the ball but was told he wouldn’t do so if she kept it. The officials also mentioned that the team wouldn’t authenticate the ball if she chose to keep it. Feeling pressured, Roman ended up trading the home run ball for two hats, a ball, and a bat, all signed by Ohtani.
As a Dodgers fan, Roman admitted feeling a bit disheartened by the situation. She had hoped for dugout seats, a signed jersey, or at least the chance to meet Ohtani. The estimated value of the home run ball is $100,000
