Fans eager to buy Shohei Ohtani memorabilia at Sports Attic in Fountain Valley after his historic 50/50 milestone

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. () — Shohei Ohtani has once again made baseball history, becoming the first major league player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.

“That’s crazy. There’s been a lot of great players over the years, but for him to hit that, that’s insane,” Fountain Valley resident Trent Sievers said.

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

“There’s a lot of excitement. We’re getting in everything from the 50/50 shirts to pendants, clubhouse signs, pins,” Gaspar said.

“From a business standpoint it was ‘Wow, this is going to be amazing for us.’ You know we’re a small family business. So it’s been pretty cool to know that this is going to bring in a little more foot traffic,” Baccanti said.

The store has been a local hub for sports fans for over 20 years. But with Ohtani’s rising popularity over the years, Gaspar and Baccanti have had to create an entire display filled with the Japanese star’s gear with both Angels and Dodgers fans eager to get their hands on it.

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

“People are hopeful, they’re so excited that the gear is already here, but they do have to produce it first,” Gaspar said.

“We joked about the idea that we’ll get this 50/50 gear and there’s still an opportunity for him to go 60/60, which would be kind of crazy because then maybe the 50/50 gear wouldn’t be as big of a deal. I don’t know,” Baccanti said.

For those looking to commemorate Ohtani’s achievement, Gaspar and Baccanti said customers better act quickly because they’re expecting to sell out their Ohtani 50/50 gear once they receive their shipment.