Goldin & eBay | Graphic Designer, Shohei Ohtani 50/50 Ball Auction 2024
Goldin.com brought me on directly to develop the visual identity for the auction of Shohei Ohtani's historic 50/50 baseball.
In September 2024, Ohtani became the only player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. Achieving the feat in a single game against the Miami Marlins, going 6-for-6 with three home runs, two stolen bases, and 10 RBIs. That same ball went to auction, and the design work needed to match the magnitude of the moment — building a cohesive visual language that could carry across social media and large-format print while feeling worthy of a once-in-a-generation achievement.
In September 2024, Ohtani became the only player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. Achieving the feat in a single game against the Miami Marlins, going 6-for-6 with three home runs, two stolen bases, and 10 RBIs. That same ball went to auction, and the design work needed to match the magnitude of the moment — building a cohesive visual language that could carry across social media and large-format print while feeling worthy of a once-in-a-generation achievement.
The central design challenge was integration: seamlessly incorporating the iconic game-used ball as the focal point into every asset without it feeling forced. The solution came from the ball itself. Its natural off-white, red, and blue tones mirrored the Dodgers' palette exactly, creating a visual thread that ran through the entire campaign and grounded every piece in authenticity.
The auction closed at $4.39 million — the highest sale price ever recorded for a ball in any sport.
Project Coordinator: Joanne Gettson
