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Heritage Auctions has filed a lawsuit against the Atlanta Braves, escalating a dispute over the sale of memorabilia linked to Hank Aaron's historic 715th career home run. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, centers on the bases and home plate that Aaron touched during his legendary home run on April 8, 1974.

The legal action comes just days before Heritage's scheduled auction of the contested items, which was set to conclude on Sunday. According to the lawsuit, the items, including the bases and home plate, are currently housed in Heritage's Dallas offices. The auction was slated to take place online and live in Dallas from August 23-25, 2024.

The dispute arose after the Braves sent a cease-and-desist letter to Heritage last Friday, questioning the provenance and authenticity of the items and raising concerns about how some of the memorabilia was acquired. The Braves' letter prompted Heritage to halt the auction of the bases and home plate on Tuesday, just days before the scheduled sale.

In response, Heritage's lawsuit accuses the Braves of making false statements in their letter, leading to claims of "defamation" and "business disparagement." The auction house is seeking damages exceeding $75,000, among other legal remedies.

"The Braves did not have all the facts concerning the Braves material in the upcoming auction," Heritage said in a statement to ESPN. "Heritage Auctions is currently sharing that information with the Braves' counsel, and we hope to have this expediently and amicably resolved."

Despite filing the lawsuit, Heritage declined to comment further on the ongoing legal matter. However, the auction house emphasized its commitment to transparency and authenticity, stating, "Heritage Auctions prides itself on transparency and authenticity and stands behind every item we offer at auction."

The Braves, for their part, have vowed to defend their claim to the memorabilia in court. A spokesperson for the team said, "We intend to vigorously defend the ownership of our property in a court of law and will not be issuing any further statements as this is an ongoing legal matter."

The controversy also drew attention to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which confirmed to ESPN that the third-base bag from Aaron's 715th home run game was donated to the Hall by Aaron himself in 1982. Aaron, who famously broke Babe Ruth's home run record with that historic blast, had donated his entire collection to the Hall.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was unable to be reached for comment following the lawsuit's filing on Wednesday.

As the legal battle unfolds, the future of these significant pieces of baseball history remains uncertain, with both Heritage Auctions and the Atlanta Braves preparing to fight for their respective claims in court.