Dodgers Fan Says Team Pressured Her Into Giving Up Shohei Ohtani Home Run Ball
Shohei Ohtani Fan Upset With Dodgers ... Claims Team Pressured Her Into Giving Up HR Ball
The Dodgers fan who caught Shohei Ohtani's home run on Wednesday night is now upset with her favorite team ... claiming officials from the org pressured her into giving it up for a low-ball offer.
Ambar Roman scooped up the memento in the seventh inning of LA's tilt with the Giants at Dodger Stadium -- after Ohtani blasted it some 430 feet from home plate into her seat in the right field bleachers.
THE FIRST OF MANY FOR SHOHEI OHTANI. pic.twitter.com/6x0zye1GnZ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 4, 2024 @Dodgers
It was Shohei's first-ever dinger as a Dodger ... and, initially, Roman was fired up to score the treasure. She was seen on the game's broadcast going crazy -- but just minutes later, she said things turned very stressful.
In a conversation with The Athletic, Roman accused Dodgers officials of separating her from her husband ... before insisting she fork over the ball for just a couple of signed Ohtani hats.
Roman said the team hinted they wouldn't authenticate the ball if she didn't make the trade -- and with no ability to talk things over with her husband ... she says she did the deal after they sweetened the pot a bit with an additional signed bat and ball.
But now, her husband, Alexis Valenzuela, said the whole thing left a bad taste in his and his wife's mouths.
"I was just disappointed that a team that I hold so dear pulled a quote-unquote quick one on us," Valenzuela said.
"We're not trying to extort anyone," he added. "It's not that we're money hungry. 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."
According to a Heritage Auctions expert, the ball is worth in the neighborhood of $100,000. The signed memorabilia Roman received was worth around $4,000, the expert said.
Nonetheless, Roman said she was still happy to have the memory ... and it seems she could be in line to receive at least a little bit more compensation -- as a Dodgers official told The Athletic they're "open to a further conversation" about it all.