Everything I Needed to Know, I Learned After Suing Someone
Todd MacFarlane added Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run ball to his collection today, purchasing the item at auction for $517,500–about one-third of what was estimated. After nearly two years of legal battles, Alex Popov (who caught the ball) and Patrick Hayashi (who emerged from a scrum-like mob holding the ball) will each get roughly $250,000–money that might not even cover their legal fees. Had they agreed to split the proceeds back in 2001 when the homer was hit (and was in the public eye), they would not only have avoided spending thousands of dollars on lawyers, but the ball surely would have sold for more. Instead, they tried to Hornstine each other–refusing to share, and shooting themselves in the foot.
I’d like to think they’ve learned their lesson, but the next time someone breaks a major home run record (I’m guessing A-Rod in 2012), this will probably happen all over again.
You know, I think I just coined the verb “to Hornstine.”