Dodgers Fan Who Caught Shohei Ohtani HR Says Team Pressured Her to Give Up Ball

The fan who snagged superstar Shohei Ohtani's first-ever home run as a Los Angeles Dodger told Sam Blum of The Athletic that security personnel "pressured" her to give up the ball.

Dodgers fan Ambar Roman picked up the ball by her feet after it landed, and she and her husband, Alexis Valenzuela, were escorted by security personnel from the stands. Soon after, the "hardball tactics" started, per Blum:

"Roman and Valenzuela say the security staff separated them, pressured them, and left them little choice but to hand over the baseball for a low-ball offer. The Dodgers initially dangled two caps signed by Ohtani in exchange for a ball that an auction house representative told The Athletic would be worth at least $100,000.

"Roman said the hardball tactics by team officials included the threat of refusing to authenticate the baseball if she decided to take it home. This was no trivial matter: A lack of authentication would render the ball worthless, all but forcing her to accept the trade."

The home run occurred in the seventh inning of the Dodgers' 5-4 home win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

That homer ended up being the game-winning run en route to L.A. moving to 7-2 on the season, good enough for first in the NL West.

The blast obviously brings greater significance, though, with Ohtani being a generational talent and a two-time American League MVP.

So Roman had a prized possession on her hands.

However, the reported behavior of security personnel—namely separating the couple before negotiations—naturally elicits questions regarding the tactfulness (or lack thereof) and apparent boorish behavior of those individuals.

"They really took advantage of her," Valenzuela told Blum. "There were a bunch of (security) guys around her. They wouldn't let me talk to her or give her any advice. There was no way for us to leave. They had her pretty much cornered in the back."

Roman added her remarks.

"They didn't want him to influence my decision. At least that's how I took it," Roman told Blum regarding the separation.

"… It was a little pressuring. Especially because it was like, 'I need you to give me an answer like right now. You gotta make up your mind.' It was a lot of pressure."

Blum made clear that the couple isn't upset with what they eventually received (two signed hats, a signed bat and ball), although Valenzuela believes a fairer deal could have been achieved.

"We're not trying to extort anyone. It's not that we're money hungry," Valenzuela told Blum. "It's just that it's a special moment, it's a special ball. I just think it's fair for it to be equally rewarded."

"I was just disappointed that a team that I hold so dear pulled a quote-unquote quick one on us," he added.

For context on how much the ball could have fetched, a foul ball Ohtani hit in 2021 is being sold for nearly $15,000 in the team's memorabilia store, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.

Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage Auctions, told Blum the home run value had "all the ingredients to hit that number ($100,000) and go well beyond it, absolutely."

He then added the items the Dodgers gave the fans would be valued at around $5,000 total, although the couple told Blum the team did not authenticate or confirm Ohtani signed the items before they left.

Ultimately, the issue at-hand for the couple seems less about what they received in compensation and more about their treatment at the game.

"Where was the Dodger love that we see every day, every time we go," Valenzuela told Blum.

"It just disappeared. We were kind of left stranded. It's not necessarily that we wanted a million. Just something nice. Take care of your fans. Especially when they got something that's way more valuable."

As for the Dodgers, a team official said the organization is "open to a further conversation with the fan about the transaction."