2004
Directed By Michael Wranovics
SYNOPSIS
The biggest battle in baseball history wasn't fought on the field, but in a courtroom. The two men who claim to own Barry Bonds' record-breaking 73rd home run duke it out in court to see who's the rightful owner.
MY THOUGHTS
An excellent documentary that shows the dark side of capitalism and sports.
The two men, Alex Popov and Patrick Hayashi, are clearly portrayed as the fools and idiots that they are. Both were clearly not true fans of baseball and were there at PacBell Park on that fateful day just to make a million bucks. As a result of the court case, one was left deep in debt and the other with just a small profit. Avoiding trial would have made them both rich, but they were so pigheaded
The story took hold of the media, even as U.S. troops began their fight in Afghanistan, and as it went to trial, even overshadowed Bonds and the Giants playing in the World Series. Several journalists are interviewed and realize the absurdity of it all.
The film is very entertaining and straightforward. It did not overly paint either man as a good or bad person and had interviews with journalists, witnesses, the judge, and others who provided a balanced opinion of them. That's much different than a one-sided Michael Moore-type documentary. Popov and Hayashi are the ones that paint themselves as greedy and self-absorbed.
Baseball's history plays such an important part in it's present. The filmmakers also interview other home run catchers, like the men who caught Roger Maris' 61st homer, Mark McGwire's 70th, and several of Bonds' other historic homers from 2001. Those men seem like normal guys who just happened to catch a ball, unlike the two greedy bastards seen here. It's a real testament to how American values and culture were once a little bit higher in the toilet water as it circles the drain.
The documentary is at time hilarious and often ridiculous... and highly entertaining.
This film is not available on DVD.
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