Trial Date Set for Custody of Bonds' HR Ball
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from Beckett.com
4/1/2002 10:40:58 AM
On Friday, a San Francisco court commissioner assigned a trial date for the argument over who owns Barry Bonds' home run ball No. 73: October 7, one year to the day after Bonds hit the ball out onto a crowded porch at Pacific Bell Park.
As a television station's video later showed, Alex Popov had the ball in his glove, but was jostled by the surrounding crowd and dropped it. Another fan, Patrick Hayashi, came up with the ball in the scramble. Popov is now suing Hayashi, who claims Popov never really caught the ball and is, through the courts, now trying to bully him into giving up the collectible, presently valued at more than $1 million.
The ball has been kept in a safe deposit box since November and will apparently remain there until the trial, believed to be the nation's first over fan ownership of a ball hit into the stands at a major league stadium.
While Hayashi's representative did not comment on the development, Popov's lawyer showed confidence in his client's position.
"Our hope is that Alex gets back this piece of baseball history,'' said Popov's lawyer, Marty Triano. ``When we prevail, our victory will also protect all baseball fans who attempt to catch a fly ball."
4/1/2002 10:40:58 AM
On Friday, a San Francisco court commissioner assigned a trial date for the argument over who owns Barry Bonds' home run ball No. 73: October 7, one year to the day after Bonds hit the ball out onto a crowded porch at Pacific Bell Park.
As a television station's video later showed, Alex Popov had the ball in his glove, but was jostled by the surrounding crowd and dropped it. Another fan, Patrick Hayashi, came up with the ball in the scramble. Popov is now suing Hayashi, who claims Popov never really caught the ball and is, through the courts, now trying to bully him into giving up the collectible, presently valued at more than $1 million.
The ball has been kept in a safe deposit box since November and will apparently remain there until the trial, believed to be the nation's first over fan ownership of a ball hit into the stands at a major league stadium.
While Hayashi's representative did not comment on the development, Popov's lawyer showed confidence in his client's position.
"Our hope is that Alex gets back this piece of baseball history,'' said Popov's lawyer, Marty Triano. ``When we prevail, our victory will also protect all baseball fans who attempt to catch a fly ball."
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