Why baseball players probably shouldn't go into the movie business

By Eriq Gardner

Professional baseball players are supposed to know a thing or two about laying off a bad pitch. Not Mike Lamb.

The journeyman third-baseman, who has spent 10 seasons with seven pro teams, appears to have struck out in his foray into film producing.

Lamb is now suing producer Louis Simon and his Moving Forward Prods after allegedly giving Simon $253,000 for a bridge loan to finance a spiritual-themed movie called "The Flipside."

In a complaint filed last week, Lamb says he knew nothing about the kinds of transactions involved in funding a motion picture but agreed to help his friend, Simon, on a film that "would embody spiritual and theological messages, which he hoped would provide motivation to others to turn their lives around for the better."

Lamb says his investment was made as an act of charity and devotion. No surprise where this one is heading.

Allegedly, the loan was made as a bridge until Simon could obtain $9 million in financing. Simon is said to have introduced another guy who would act as a guarantor on the loan, but that individual is now said to have had a felony conviction for drug trafficking, as well as other legal problems.

As collateral for the loan, Lamb allegedly got rights to the "Flipside" screenplay, but Lamb says he hasn't been able to secure the assignment of rights or his money back.

Lamb also says that defamatory statements were made about him and his lawyers under the Twitter account of "whatisflipside." The tweets allegedly encouraged followers to take action against Lamb for attempting to stop "kids from getting a chance to have a future."

Suing for breach of contract, fraud, conversion, defamation, and other causes, Lamb wants at least $316,250 in damages.

"They've got the wrong guy," Simon tells us. "He probably meant to sue someone else. I had no deal with him. I haven't seen the lawsuit yet, but I'll be calling my lawyer next."