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Fan Who Caught Historic Aaron Judge Ball Chose 'Fair' Auction Process — Costing Him an Extra $1.5M

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 22: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrates his solo home run in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium on April 22, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images); Aaron Judge’s 62nd Home Run Caught By Husband of Former Bachelor Contestant Bri Amaranthus. https://www.instagram.com/p/CeoQNrhAzRL/?hl=en. Bri Amaranthus/Instagram

Elsa/Getty; Bri Amaranthus/Instagram

Cory Youmans — the Dallas man who caught Aaron Judge's record-breaking home run ball in October — could have taken home an extra $1.5 million in the sale of the piece of history.

Instead, Youmans, who is the husband of Bachelor Nation alum Bri Amaranthus, reportedly turned down a private offer of $3 million for the ball, reported ESPN, in the name of transparency.

Youmans, a vice president at a local branch of Fisher Investments, explained his decision in a statement released by auction house Goldin after the ball was sold over the weekend to a buyer only identified as "Joe," the New York Post reported.

"Congratulations to Joe! Given the historical significance of #62, it was important to me that the selling process was fair, accessible and transparent," Youmans said Sunday, adding that the seller "seems like a great man and the perfect steward for this special piece of MLB history."

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"As this chapter comes to an end, and I reflect on catching home run ball #62, I'll always remember the kindness of the fans around me on that exciting night in Arlington," Youmans said. "It was the epitome of how sports brings humans together, and I'll cherish that memory forever."

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Youmans caught the ball on Oct. 4 at the Texas Rangers' Globe Life Field. He was seated in left field when it all went down, specifically in Section 31, Row 1, Seat 3, according to the MLB.

The homer marked 62 in a single American League season, as Judge, 30, beat Roger Maris' record from 1961. The only MLB players who have hit more homers in a season were Sammy Sosa (66), Mark McGuire (70) and Barry Bonds (73) — though baseball fans often place an asterisk on their successes as they were linked to allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs.