Up for Grabs (2004)

The absurd true story of the legal battle over the "Million-Dollar Baseball." Barry Bonds' record setting 73rd home run ball sparks a melee in the stands at Pac Bell Park in San Francisco. ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Wranovics

Writer:

Michael Wranovics

Stars:

Marty Appel, Barry Bonds, Patrick Hayashi

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Marty Appel	...	Himself
Barry Bonds	...	Himself
Patrick Hayashi	...	Himself
Alex Popov	...	Himself
Ted Rowlands	...	Himself - TV News Reporter

Storyline

The absurd true story of the legal battle over the "Million-Dollar Baseball." Barry Bonds' record setting 73rd home run ball sparks a melee in the stands at Pac Bell Park in San Francisco. One guy caught the ball, another guy ended up with it. Who is the rightful owner? The lawyers can't agree; the fans can't agree; even the wisened professors of property law can't agree. This is a story documenting the hilarious lengths to which someone will go for a baseball, and the few fans that will put their lives on hold for years, staking everything on one judge's decision.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | home run | law | san francisco california | san francisco giants

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Genres:

Comedy | Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 June 2007 (Japan)

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$1,881 (USA) (6 May 2005)

Gross:

$1,881 (USA) (6 May 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Crooked Hook Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was nominated for the William Shatner Golden Groundhog Award for Best Underground Movie. The other nominated films were Green Street Hooligans, MirrorMask, Nine Lives and Opie Gets Laid.

User Reviews

The lowest blow for baseball

For all of the future self-serving idiots that look to grab a stake of history, watch this movie. Granted, Up for Grabs is a pretty basic documentary in the straightest sense, but it's the human drama that is involved that makes it such a comedic experience.

Popov and Hayashi were both idiots, let's make that clear. But Popov's overwhelming sense of self worth seemed to provide just what he wanted. He was a loathing, idiot that was purely out to make money, just like Hayashi. But you couldn't turn away from Popov. His idiocy is what truly makes the story, and let's face it, his greed ultimately cost him a lot of money and debt.

What I also found so compelling about this movie is how times have changed. People only care about the money making aspect rather than the thrill of the game. People don't go to a game to see someone like Barry Bonds (or these days, Albert Pujols), they're just waiting for the day he sets some record so they could grab a potential meal ticket. It's a pretty startling assessment when Bonds is the sensible and well-meaning conscience that neither Hayashi or Popov seemed to have.