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Up for Grabs

Play trailer Poster for Up for Grabs Released Apr 15, 2005 1h 30m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 46 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
During the final leg of Major League Baseball's 2001 season, Giants batter Barry Bonds scores a historic 73rd home run at San Francisco's Pac Bell Park. Victorious in the ensuing scuffle for control of the record-breaking ball is spectator Patrick Hayashi -- a notion disputed by nearby Alex Popov, who claims Hayashi wrestled the ball from him. Director Michael Wranovics examines the resulting court battle, the media circus following the event and the obsessed fans behind the controversy.
Up for Grabs

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Critics Consensus

You don't have to be a baseball fan to be entertained by the absurdities, obsessions, and greed on display in this documentary.

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Critics Reviews

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Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune Even if you didn't follow the story then, Wranovics tells it so wryly your interest never flags -- and there's more suspense for newcomers, since the mystery and court verdict remain in doubt until the end. Rated: 3/4 Jun 26, 2007 Full Review Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal Up For Grabs, a buoyant documentary by Michael Wranovics, touches three bases of contemporary life: greed, litigiousness and a fixation with fame, however fleeting, that rises to the level of dementia. May 1, 2007 Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader It's a terrific story -- part mystery, part farce, part legal nail-biter -- with a last-minute reversal so bitterly ironic it could have been scripted by Billy Wilder. Apr 23, 2007 Full Review Bill Gallo New Times Michael Wranovics' well-meant documentary about the absurd legal battle over the ownership of the baseball Barry Bonds hit for his season-record 73rd home run, back in 2001, is instantly overshadowed by subsequent events. May 12, 2014 Full Review Susan Tavernetti Palo Alto Weekly Up for Grabs isn't just about a ball. It's about America. Rated: 3/4 May 1, 2007 Full Review Leonard Klady Los Angeles CityBeat Their greed provides an excellent opportunity to examine the law and a bizarre media circus. Apr 23, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member you will not be able to help yourself, as you will be totally immersed into this movie while watching )) has been fun watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting story about the guys who both claimed to have caught Barry Bonds 73rd HR baseball. Some people are just shady. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member This is as interesting as a movie about a lawsuit over a baseball could ever dream of being. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member When you are greedy, you never wins. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Sometimes, really cool documentaries come out of strange events. King of Kong about the battle of two arcade game whizzes comes to mind. This is another movie. Two people claimed rightful ownership to Barry Bond's 73rd home run ball in the last game of the regular season in 2001. The documentary is more or less a review of that situation and the case. Starting off, the movie is wildly entertaining. As it says up front, some may question what Bonds did, but this movie is about the ball. The first half of the movie is a little bit of baseball history. The guy who caught the Maris No. 61 ball. The guy who caught McGwire's final home run in that record season. All of these guys have great stories and are good on camera, but they pale in comparison to the guy who caught Bonds No. 70 ball. Of course, it turned out to be worth little as he went on to hit three more homers that season, but that press conference was epic and he had the press rolling. Then there are these two guys. Probably no one will watch this, so I'll divulge some spoilers. Basically, one guy claims to have caught No. 73, then it was taken from him while he was piled on. The other guy, I guess, says he just picked it up off the ground. There is a lot to this case. While well-documented, what exactly is being documented? According to some witnesses, the guy who claims to have caught the ball actually had another ball with the word "sucker" on it...to throw into the bay and watch the boat people go after it (ha ha). Also on the video, the Asian guy who comes up with the ball seems to bite a kid on the leg, etc, in his pursuit of the ball. In the end, maybe the movie drags on a bit too long. As does the legal case. Both guys end up spending six figures in court, only for the judge to rule that each should have 50 percent ownership. The ball is later sold for $450,000, meaning far more was spent on court than actually earned from the sale. The white guy, who kind of reveals himself to be a douchebag throughout, evidently does not pay his attorneys. The Asian attorneys let their client keep the money as they really thought it was his case to win. So, actually really interesting story and fairly interesting legal case. You won't like Alex, the white guy who claims to have caught the ball. You might not like Patrick, the Asian guy. You will, however, like the guy who caught No. 70. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member How did I miss this whole case? What an interesting story which truly shows the greed and how sports has been blown out of proportion. Great recounting of the facts and showing both sides. Enjoyed this doc, Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Up for Grabs

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Movie Info

Synopsis During the final leg of Major League Baseball's 2001 season, Giants batter Barry Bonds scores a historic 73rd home run at San Francisco's Pac Bell Park. Victorious in the ensuing scuffle for control of the record-breaking ball is spectator Patrick Hayashi -- a notion disputed by nearby Alex Popov, who claims Hayashi wrestled the ball from him. Director Michael Wranovics examines the resulting court battle, the media circus following the event and the obsessed fans behind the controversy.
Director
Michael Wranovics
Producer
Michael Wranovics
Screenwriter
Michael Wranovics
Distributor
Laemmle/Zeller Films
Production Co
Crooked Lines Productions LLC
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 15, 2005, Original
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.9K
Runtime
1h 30m