BILLINGS — If you love baseball, you can likely recall countless magical moments you’ve witnessed — or been part of — on the diamond. Earlier this summer, MTN Sports showed you one of those magical moments for a die-hard Colorado Rockies fan connected to Montana.
It was the catch of a lifetime for Emily Sauvageau. She was sitting front row, left field where her family has Rockies season tickets, when Major League all-star Shohei Ohtani launched his milestone 300th professional home run. As the Los Angeles Dodgers sensation left the batter’s box on June 24, Sauvageau stood up and snagged the home run ball on the fly.
Watch Sauvageau catch Ohtani's HR and hear her reaction to the sale price:
"I kept telling myself not to reach over (the left field wall) because I was terrified that I was going to get too excited and lean forward," Sauvageau recalled to MTN Sports earlier this summer. "I kind of stuck my glove out and basket caught it at the last second."
After the catch, Sauvageau's father Dan, who grew up in Three Forks, connected with Leland's Sports Memorabilia Auction house. He and Emily, who still have close family in Montana, decided to auction the historic baseball after thoughtful consideration, then anxiously awaited bidding that lasted just over two weeks.
"The last couple hours were the most fun because that's when everybody was bidding," Sauvageau told MTN Sports this week. "My whole family was at the Rockies game. Every few minutes somebody would pull it up and refresh (the web page) to see if there was another bid."
The ball was even displayed alongside an autographed Babe Ruth baseball at the Chicago auction house, highlighting its significance in baseball history.
Sauvageau said auction officials mentioned the ball could sell for six figures, but she never set her expectations that high.
"I was absolutely thrilled with 40-grand," she said. "If you'd have told me that when I caught the ball, I would have been absolutely mind blown."
True to her word, Sauvageau plans to split the $44,322 with her younger brother Ryan, who is preparing to graduate high school. And despite the windfall, their spending plans remain modest.
"I think he has a couple shirts he wants to buy (with) his first little purchase," Sauvageau said. "And I might have a little pizza party with some of my friends."
Emily says she’s attended 838 Rockies games. Who knows when her next magical moment may be. Or what it may worth.
