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Fans want to buy Shohei Ohtani memorabilia at the Sports Attic in Fountain Valley after he reached his historic 50/50 club milestone


Fans want to buy Shohei Ohtani memorabilia at the Sports Attic in Fountain Valley after he reached his historic 50/50 club milestone

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – Shohei Ohtani has once again made baseball history: He is the first player to make it into the 50/50 club with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

“It’s crazy. There have been a lot of great players throughout the year, but for him to do that is insane,” said Fountain Valley resident Trent Sievers.

As Ohtani’s fans grow, so does the demand for his memorabilia. Mike Gaspar and Leah Bacccanti, owners of Fountain Valley Sports Attic, said their phones are ringing off the hook with customers asking if they have Ohtani 50/50 gear.

“The excitement is high. We’re getting everything from 50/50 shirts to tags, clubhouse signs and pins,” Gaspar said.

“From a business perspective, it was awesome, it’s going to be great for us. We’re a small family business, so it was pretty cool to know that it would bring in a little more foot traffic,” Baccanti said.

The store has been a local hangout for sports fans for over 20 years. But with Ohtani’s popularity increasing over the years, Gaspar and Baccanti needed to put together an entire display of Ohtani merchandise that both Angels and Dodgers fans were clamoring to have.

“I’ve just been looking for all the new Ohtani stuff. I love collecting all the stuff that comes out. I have a set of the collectible pins,” said Thomas Balich, Huntington Beach resident.

“People are full of hope and are very happy that the equipment is already there, but they still have to produce it,” Gaspar said.

“We joked about the idea that we get this 50/50 gear and there’s still the possibility for him to go to 60/60, which is kind of crazy because then the 50/50 gear might not be a big deal, I don’t know,” Baccanti said.

Anyone wanting to honor Ohtani’s achievement should act quickly, according to Gaspar and Baccanti, as Ohtani 50/50 gear is expected to sell out as soon as shipments arrive.

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