SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The two fans who fought over Barry Bonds' record-setting home run ball have settled their dispute, agreeing to sell the souvenir and split the proceeds.
Alex Popov, the man who gloved the ball from Bonds' historic 73rd homer before losing it in a skirmish, and Patrick Hayashi, who ended up with it, agreed Wednesday to hire a St. Louis firm to sell the ball.
"We have come to an agreement that the best thing to do is get back to what this is all about, which is that this is a historical moment in baseball history that we are both a part of," Popov told The Associated Press Wednesday.
Hayashi could not immediately be reached for comment.
Since it landed in the stands at Pac Bell Park on Oct. 7, 2001, the baseball has been locked in a safe-deposit box overseen by a judge who ultimately ordered Popov and Hayashi to sell it and split the money -- perhaps more than $1 million.
But after that December ruling, the two men couldn't agree on how to sell the ball. Until recently, the men were still considering appealing Judge Kevin McCarthy's decision that neither of them could claim sole ownership.
"Sitting here almost 90 days after the decision, it's easier to see we didn't give Judge McCarthy as much credit as we should have," Popov said. "If he had ruled for either party, the other would have likely appealed and dragged this on, so there is some wisdom to his ruling that was not appreciated at the time."
Hayashi and Popov hired the St. Louis-based Barnes Sports Group either to arrange an auction or find a private buyer for the ball. Hayashi and Popov agreed on that firm because it oversaw the $3 million sale of Mark McGwire's record-breaking 70th home run ball from the 1998 season, Popov said.
According to Popov, he and Hayashi agreed to call their contest a tie once they started negotiating directly with each other, without the involvement of their lawyers or the court.
"It was great to talk to him. I wish that a lot of the hype and the media attention way back when wasn't there and we could have talked," Popov said.
The men have gained so much respect for each other's position, in fact, that they plan to hold a long-overdue 73rd home run celebration party in San Francisco with their family and friends some time after the Giants' season opener on April 7. Popov is hoping that Bonds will make an appearance.
If everything goes according to plan, the baseball will have a new owner before June. And while legal fees will cut into his share of the profits, Popov said he'll be happy with whatever the ball sells for.
"My place in baseball history is secure," he said. "What's that worth?"
