Baseball fan sues Dodgers, claiming he the rightful owner of Shohei Ohtani historic 51st stolen base

Baseball fan sues Dodgers, claiming he’s the rightful owner of Shohei Ohtani’s historic 51st stolen base
James Gossett, a baseball enthusiast from Greenville, South Carolina, has taken legal action against the Los Angeles Dodgers, asserting that he is the rightful owner of a piece of Major League Baseball (MLB) history: the second base from which Shohei Ohtani stole his historic 50th base of the season. Gossett claims that he secured this base through an email agreement with a representative from the Miami Marlins, who promised to hold the base for him as a collectible. Now, he seeks a federal court’s intervention to retrieve the item or receive its equivalent value.

The story began in mid-September when Ohtani, who had already made a name for himself as one of baseball’s greatest talents, was nearing an unprecedented milestone: becoming the first MLB player to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. With Ohtani’s season record then at 48 home runs and 49 stolen bases, Gossett anticipated that he would soon witness history. The idea of owning the base that Ohtani would vacate during his 50th stolen base captivated Gossett, who viewed the item as a priceless piece of baseball memorabilia.

As is standard in MLB, bases are periodically rotated out during games and are later sold as “game-used” collectibles. For an iconic moment such as Ohtani’s record 50th stolen base, the value of the base could be exceptional, far exceeding the typical $100 price tag of everyday bases.

On September 18, ahead of a Dodgers-Marlins game in Miami, Gossett reached out to the Marlins’ game-used memorabilia sales department. In his email, Gossett made a specific request, saying he wanted “the base that Ohtani takes off from when he steal[s] number 50.” He explained the request was for a special gift and was willing to pay the listed price of $2,500 for the base.

In response, the Marlins representative confirmed that they would set aside the base if the milestone occurred during one of the remaining games in the series. "Understood. If it happens today or tomorrow, yes," the rep replied. Gossett, eager for confirmation, asked, “So it’s a done deal and mine if he does it today or tomorrow, correct?” The representative replied, “Yes sir!” and mentioned that the invoice would be issued after Ohtani successfully achieved the feat to avoid needing a refund if the milestone did not happen as expected.

The evening of September 18 passed without Ohtani stealing a base. However, during the first inning of the September 19 game, Ohtani made history by stealing third base after leading off from second—achieving his record 50th stolen base. Excited, Gossett quickly followed up with the Marlins’ memorabilia department, ensuring they had set aside the second base for him. The representative confirmed this, stating that "second base at the time of #50 has been pulled and set aside for you" and promising to invoice him later that night.

Yet, something went wrong. Instead of being removed and reserved as promised, second base was left on the field. In the following inning, Ohtani stole second base once again, marking his 51st stolen base and further increasing the base’s historical significance. Following this additional milestone, the Marlins’ plans for the base changed entirely: they decided to give it to the Dodgers, Ohtani’s team, instead of selling it to Gossett as initially promised.

Unaware of these developments, Gossett sent a follow-up email on September 20, asking why he hadn’t received an invoice for the base. The Marlins representative then informed him of the change in plans, explaining that the base from Ohtani’s 50th steal had remained on the field and was subsequently used for his 51st steal. The Marlins, therefore, decided to give the base to the Dodgers as a memento of Ohtani’s achievement, explaining that they “had not been previously been made aware that the ball club would receive SB#51.”

This revelation left Gossett feeling blindsided. Believing that the Marlins had agreed to sell him the base, he felt that the Dodgers had interfered with his rightful claim to the memorabilia. Gossett’s lawsuit argues that a binding contract existed between him and the Marlins, which the team breached by not fulfilling the agreed-upon sale. He also accuses the Dodgers of wrongful possession, claiming they are holding the item he should legally own.