Watch Up for Grabs

Up for Grabs is a 2004 documentary that recounts the legal battle between two baseball fans over who should own the record 73rd home run ball hit by San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds during the 2001 season. The film explores the excitement and obsession that surrounds memorabilia collecting and the cutthroat world of sports auctions.

The two main characters in the film are Marty Appel, a veteran sports memorabilia collector, and Patrick Hayashi, a software engineer and amateur collector. The drama begins on October 7, 2001, when Bonds hits his 73rd home run in the last game of the regular season, breaking the record set by Mark McGwire just three years earlier. The ball was caught by a fan in the stands and chaos ensued as several people claimed to have caught the ball or to have it in their possession.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the way it exposes the unspoken rules and customs that govern the world of sports memorabilia. For example, the code of conduct says that if a ball is caught in the stands, the person who catches it should receive a fair reward, but if the ball lands on the field, it is the property of the team. The film shows how this protocol was blurred in the case of the Bonds home run ball, leading to a legal dispute that went all the way to court.

The film is structured like a legal drama, complete with lawyers, judges, and witness testimony. The case went to a jury trial in which both Appel and Hayashi testified. The main question was who had the right to own the ball: the person who caught it, or the person who retrieved it from the scrum of fans that fought for it? The film explores the arguments of both sides and the legal loopholes that were used to support their claims.

In addition to the legal drama, the film also delves into the psychology of collecting and the way that sports memorabilia can take on almost mythical significance in the popular imagination. For example, one collector states that he collects baseballs because “they hold the record of history”. Another collector admits that he is motivated by the desire to own something that his rivals cannot have. The film shows how the Bonds ball became a symbol of much more than just one home run, representing everything from the spirit of competition to the American dream.

Throughout the film, the viewer is given glimpses into the world of sports auctions, including interviews with auctioneers, collectors, and dealers. The film explains the process by which memorabilia is authenticated and valued, and how the economics of sports memorabilia have grown to be a multi-billion dollar industry. We see people bidding on baseballs, gloves, and even jerseys, with some items selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Although the film is centered around the legal dispute over the Bonds ball, it also explores the wider implications of the case. Some critics argued that the whole controversy was a sign of the excesses of the sports culture, in which people were willing to fight over a piece of inflated rubber. Others saw it as a reflection of the way that capitalism had corrupted even the most trivial aspects of American life.

Despite the serious themes of the film, it is also full of humor and irony. For example, in one scene, a man named Alex Popov claims to have caught the Bonds ball, only to have it snatched out of his glove by another fan. Popov later files a lawsuit claiming that he was the rightful owner of the ball, leading to the legal battle that drives the film. Eventually, the jury decides that the ball should be sold at auction and the money split between Appel and Hayashi. The ball ends up selling for $450,000, a record amount for a baseball.

Overall, Up for Grabs is an engaging and informative documentary that explores the world of sports memorabilia through a specific case study. It raises important questions about the nature of collecting, the role of sports in American culture, and the ethics of ownership. The film will appeal to anyone interested in sports, popular culture, or legal dramas.