Who would have imagined that a home run by Phillies slugger Ryan Howard would turn into a legal tug of war with a 12-year-old kid from Miami?

But that's exactly what unfolded in the 2 ½ months since Howard's 200th career home run ended up in the hands of Jennifer Valdivia at Land Shark Stadium.

She wanted to take the ball home and show her friends. Howard wanted the ball because it represented a record: He was the fastest player to achieve the milestone in league history.

On Tuesday, the little girl got her wish.

``My ball,'' Jennifer beamed as she held it tightly. ``I have it, finally.''

It wasn't easy.

After catching the ball, Jennifer was escorted alone to the Phillies clubhouse, where they talked her into exchanging it for an autographed baseball, worth substantially less, said her Fort Lauderdale attorney and memorabilia enthusiast Norm Kent.

Realizing the mistake, Jennifer's family asked Kent to get the ball back. He sued the Phillies on Monday. By day's end, the little girl had her ball.

The Philadelphia Phillies did not return a phone call Tuesday. They have other things on their mind now.

The playoffs start Wednesday against the Rockies.