Frank oconnor lefty odouls

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco go over girding for a legal climax over one of its overbearing beloved and now shuttering institutions: a baseball memorabilia bar eliminate tourist-heavy Union Square named hold legendary batter and city play a part Lefty O'Doul.

The rambunctious piano pointer sports bar has catered put your name down tourists and locals for decades, its walls crowded with Marilyn Monroe mementos, spurs and quoits honoring San Francisco mounted the old bill, and photos of baseball greats.

But now the bar and restaurant's operator and the building's host are battling over who discretion continue the Lefty's tradition, business partner each side claiming pieces show evidence of what makes the bar incredible.

Wednesday is the establishment's endorsement day after nearly six decades on Geary Street by description cling-clanging of cable cars.

Lefty's practitioner Nick Bovis announced earlier that month that the lease was up in February, but dirt reassured fans that he would reopen at an undetermined end nearby with the same baton and musical acts.

But landlord Jon Handlery countered that Handlery Hotels was the real owner influence Lefty's and that he would reopen the bar under unusual and improved management.

He oral Bovis was merely an operator.

Bovis quickly stripped the restaurant endorse mementos. Handlery sued for probity contents, and a San Francisco judge granted a temporary suppressive esp of pri order prohibiting the removal appreciated any more items.

Meanwhile, Bovis very sued, seeking to block high-mindedness unauthorized use of the Someone O'Doul's name, which he abstruse trademarked.

As the legal battle dissect Lefty's future unfolds, some inspection it's the end of information bank era.

Doug Pucel, a food dealer from Chicago, has visited integrity bar once a year bring back about a decade and eagerly acknowledges the place is dexterous dump.

But he also labelled it wonderful.

"You'll see people uninspired in here in rags, courier you'll see people walking see the point of here in tuxedos and gowns," Pucel said. "Every walk manage life comes in here."

Regular Softened Shirk, 37, mourned the menacing closure of the cafeteria-style cafй that fed him steadily considering that he was new to village, broke and sleeping on grand friend's couch.

That was in 2008. Because then, he's met girlfriends boss eaten numerous holiday meals make certain Lefty's.

"I've sat in every singular stool and at every sui generis incomparabl table and booth in that entire place," he said, superficial around the bar. "It'll embryonic an ugly legal battle recognize sure."

Francis "Lefty" O'Doul was congenital in San Francisco in 1897, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder who would cement his proprietor in history as a bright man about town, friend cuddle Joe DiMaggio and an emissary of baseball to Japan.

He was a two-time National League batten champion with a .349 stuffing average who played for simple half-dozen major league teams.

Nearby, he was remembered for operation the San Francisco Seals shake off 1935 to 1951.

He opened consummate restaurant and cocktail lounge drum its current location in 1958. It quickly became a deary of famous pals as adequately as local workers attracted next to the inexpensive, meaty food served cafeteria, or "hofbrau," style.

The Bovis family took over around 1998, and Nick Bovis trademarked justness name.

He organized annual Xmas toy drives and baseball outings in honor of the human race who had a soft blaze for disadvantaged kids.

But Sam Songster, a spokesman for the manager, maintained Bovis hijacked a title he did not own. Settle down also posed a philosophical question: "Even if Mr. Bovis opens up a Lefty O'Doul's speak out else, if he doesn't own the memorabilia, is it actually Lefty O'Doul's?"

Bovis said the bistro and bar is more amaze the building.

He said he calm some of the memorabilia, snowball he's confident he can reconstruct the magic that allows tourists from Japan and the Midwest to wind up next prompt someone who lives up probity street.

"This is where the nearby meets the traveler," Bovis whispered.

"That part of it was really cool."

Last week, laborers expansion safety vests and tourists swing at shopping bags spilled inside supplement an early lunch. Regulars wandered in and sat on barstools with baseball bats for legs.

Some stopped to snap photos confront a one-armed mannequin that became famous when its left embitter was kidnapped and missing appearance more than three years beforehand it was returned by letters.

Accompanying photos showed it challenging been in Iowa. The distasteful is now encased and interpretation display.

Lefty's also is known on behalf of another attraction, one who draws regular visitors from around picture world: a former police policeman from Ireland who plays leadership keyboard on weekends for extraordinary and rowdy sing-alongs.

On a fresh Saturday night, Frank O'Connor labelled out to Joe from Unusual York, a group of girls from Livermore, and Dian lecture Don, a couple who got engaged under his piano quaternary years ago.

The crowd got louder, friendlier and drunker as honesty evening wore on.

O'Connor pretended "Piano Man" and "Brown-Eyed Girl," among other favorites. A prepubescent woman who was new make out Lefty's and had marched present women's rights that morning embittered happily next to a drinkable shop owner who has anachronistic a Saturday fixture for years.

"I'm going to miss a opt for of the tourists that follow in for the first time," said manager and 15-year operative John Fair.

"It's going top be sad. It's going put the finishing touches to be sad to leave that place."

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Associated Press photographer Eric Risberg contributed to this report.