Ball of Confusion Tug of War for Bonds’ 73Rd Home Run Rages On: Page 156 Daily News Sports
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
60¢ LATE SPORTS FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2002 BALL OF CONFUSION TUG OF WAR FOR BONDS’ 73RD HOME RUN RAGES ON: PAGE 156 DAILY NEWS SPORTS DIAMONDBACKS EXTEND PHILS’ SKID TO 4 SNAKEBITTENSNAKEBITTEN PAGE 158 Arizona’s Junior Spivey hangs onto ball after tagging out Bobby Abreu on steal attempt. PAUL CONNORS/Associated Press BALL OF CONFUSION CLOSEUP OF THE Collecting dust SCRAMBLE Barry Bonds While Barry Bonds keeps hitting them out, watches his 73rd home his 73rd homer awaits its day in court run take flight. By MARK KRAM up with No. 73 is a source of ongo- the record of 61 home runs in a [email protected] ing debate in the Bay area, where single season held for 37 years Popov has filed an extraordinary by Roger Maris. Quickly, the HEN ALEX Popov finally lawsuit in order to reclaim pos- asking price topped $1 million, Wsquirmed free from the session of it. Although Hayashi then $2 million as it came down pile that October day at San Fran- would not agree to an interview to two very driven bidders. Alex Popov’s cisco’s Pacific Bell Park, he with the Daily News, he has said The item eventually sold for arm and glove looked like he had been worked $3.005 million to Spawn com- rise above the group to catch over by a piece of farm machin- “I realized 20 or 30 ic-book creator and self-de- the home run. ery. Blood dripped from the scribed “sports geek” Todd seconds into it that things bridge of his nose. He had a big McFarlane, who appeared to bump on his forehead and small- were getting ugly. All these have had a solid investment er abrasions on his elbows and people were on top of me until Barry Bonds came along knees. Surrounding him was a just a few years later and and suddenly it dawned on noisy crowd of equally disheveled stroked No. 73. fans, their eyes eager with antici- me that they were The Sunday it happened pation as Popov searched his attacking me for the ball.” began as an idyllic California pockets for the ball. Only a few day: Bonds had just crushed Spectators in moments before, it had soared off ALEX POPOV Nos. 71 and 72 that Friday The Arcade area the bat of Giants slugger Barry against the Dodgers, and an of Pac Bell begin to circle the ball. Bonds, the 73rd and final home air of festivity had settled run of his record-breaking sea- publicly that he caught the ball, over Pac Bell on the final son, and had fallen cleanly into only to amend that later to say day of the season. Well the outstretched glove of Popov, that he picked it up off the ground. aware of the extraordinary who was then drawn under by a Hayashi does detail his side on his sum that a Bonds home- wave of charging flesh. Suddenly Web site (See Page 155). run ball could possibly — and he is still not sure what Film from the cameraman on bring at auction, the fans happened — the prized item was the scene clearly shows two in- jammed into The Arcade no longer in his grasp. disputable facts: that Popov in- area beyond the rightfield “Where is it?” someone shout- deed caught the ball and that wall, a place where the ed. Hayashi was involved in the pile lefthanded-hitting Bonds The white streak Quickly, Popov swept the that ensued. Witnesses who have has slammed a large per- in Patrick ground with his eyes and said, “I come forward on behalf of Popov centage of his home runs. Hayashi’s hair is caught it, but somebody took it claim that Popov did not bobble Fans who did not have a evident amid the from me.” the ball, and that Hayashi ticket were crowded on pile of bodies. Seconds passed, then some- crawled toward him and even bit the walkways below, one asked urgently, “Is that the the leg of a child who obstructed while 10,000 others pa- ball?” his path, which Hayashi denies. trolled the blue waters Standing within a few feet of Court proceedings are scheduled of McCovey Cove in Popov was Patrick Hayashi, his for Oct. 7, the 1-year anniversary boats. Kevin Griffin, a glove in one hand and a round of the home run. heating and air condi- white object in his other. With a And Popov said he has no tioning contractor, had self-congratulatory grin on his plans to settle for a 50-50 out-of- told his wife Candi that Patrick Hayashi face, Hayashi displayed the ball court compromise. morning in suburban holds the base- for a television cameraman who “Giving up your property by Burlingame, “Hon, you ball while the had been assigned to that loca- splitting is like rewarding some- know we play the lot- camera also tion. Immediately, security peo- one that mugged you,” said tery. What are the catches Alex ple showed up and ushered Popov, who owns a health food odds of catching the Popov rising to Hayashi away as a group of fans restaurant. “And you would be ball if Barry hits one his knees. assembled around Popov, who condoning behavior that says, today? Come on, what slowly tried to bend his eyeglass- ‘You don’t have to catch the ball, do you say?” Griffin es back into shape. The fans told just attack the guy who does.’ ” said later, “You just him that they had seen what hap- had the feeling that if pened: that he had possession of they pitched to him the ball and that he had been ....................... something would hap- stripped of it. They urged him to To understand why this has pen.” Patrick Hayashi holds up report it to the authorities. As se- ended up in the hands of attor- Popov had come the ball for the camera curity personnel converged on neys, you have to begin on a Janu- to Pac Bell with his before being escorted from the scene. the scene, which again appeared ary evening in New York in 1999. younger brother to be on the verge of becoming Up for auction in a room at Madi- Michael; they had unruly, the fans began to chant: son Square Garden was the 70th purchased the tick- “DO THE RIGHT THING! DO home-run ball slammed the previ- ets a few weeks be- THE RIGHT THING!” ous summer by St. Louis slugger ..................... Exactly how Hayashi ended Mark McGwire, who had eclipsed See BONDS Page 154 For the Daily News PAGE 156 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2002 BALL OF CONFUSION BONDS at that point that he said the ball Continued from Page 156 was removed from his glove. He said he did not see who took it. ....................... “I realized 20 or 30 seconds in- fore. Like everyone else sur- to it that things were getting ug- rounding them, they wore base- ly,” said Popov. “All these people ball gloves and tried to position were on top of me and suddenly it themselves in an opportune dawned on me that they were at- place. Standing near them were tacking me for the ball.” the Griffins, who had come out to Did he ever bobble it any point? The Arcade from their seats Popov said no. along the third-base line; Doug Others corroborated that. Yarris, who had come to the game “Had the ball popped loose, I with his 13-year-old son Travis; would have gone for it like any- and Kathryn Sorensen, who told one else,” said Yarris. “Down in- everyone she worked with at Xe- side the pile I had a clear view of rox that she was going to catch Popov and he had the ball in his the ball. In that Bonds had cho- glove beneath his body. This was sen to sit the previous day — he not a case of there being a loose did pinch hit — no one was cer- ball that people were scurrying tain if he would play until the bat- around for.” ting order was announced. Griffin added, “All I know is But would they pitch to him? that I saw him catch it and that he A runner was on first when did not bobble it. He had posses- Bonds stepped to the plate in the sion of it for, what? Five seconds? first inning against Dennis Ten? Could have been even longer Springer, the Dodgers because no one can be sure where righthander. When Bonds swat- it was stolen from his glove. He ted an early pitch in the count had possession of it from his glove foul, the fans in The Arcade sud- to his chest to the ground.” denly came alive. Griffin turned So where was Hayashi during to his wife and said excitedly, this donnybrook? Were it not for “THEY ARE PITCHING TO HARRY HOW/Allsport the fact that he had a very dis- HIM.” Popov positioned himself Barry Bonds circles the bases as the scoreboard records his historic feat while showing the tinctive patch of gray in his hair, close to where Bonds had scrum that was well under way beyond the outfield fence. he surely would have blended in- slammed his 500th home-run to the crowd that swarmed over ball. With his headphones on and saw it coming toward him and Popov, but the ball sailed over the turned way up. Things became Popov. The videotape clearly the broadcast from KNBR blar- said, “Oh, bleep.” He judged that webbing of his glove by 3 feet.