THE WRITING ON (AND OFF) THE WALL ONE GIANT TICKET MASTER.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

Even if Barry Bonds doesn't cooperate, Mike Mahan's plan hasn't changed.

The 28-year-old Newbury Park native, who works as an investment banker on the Westside, has more or less distributed all 6,000-plus tickets for the right-field pavilion at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 1 and 3 against San Francisco that he bought up for about $25,000.

Mahan's brainstorm, when he made the purchase through the Dodgers' group sales department last April, was to put himself in place for a shot at capturing one of several milestone Bonds' career home run balls.

Sitting on No. 699 after Sunday's game in Arizona, Bonds will likely reach 700 this week. To get to Nos. 714 or 715, which would tie and pass Babe Ruth for second on the all-time list behind Hank Aaron's 755, Bonds would have to go on a tear over the last three weeks.

``It looks pretty slim now, especially since no one will pitch to him, but to catch any Bonds home run after 700 is still a valuable collectible,'' Mahan said the other day.

Mahan was able to sell about half of his tickets on a Web site he established at www.LABleachers.com, which included an eight-page contract/release form for anyone willing to help him catch - and share - in a potential piece of history.

To cover all of his bases before selling off his pavilion tickets for an asking price of $15 - about $9 over face value, even more if you consider he got a group-rate discount - Mahan requested that the binding agreement be signed and sent along with a check or cashiers check, or through PayPal.

Chock full of legalese, it includes Section 3, paragraph a): ``If Ticket Holder catches or otherwise obtains any Bonds Baseball, Ticket Holder hereby covenants to relinquish all title, possession, interest, ownership, or other rights to each such baseball to Mahan immediately upon Ticket Holder's acquisition of such baseball.''

Translation: If you get the ball, you gotta give it to Mike.

There is explicit language that restricts a third party using the ticket and circumventing everyone to sell off the ball. There's also a disclaimer preventing Mahan from being held responsible if someone gets hurt going after a ball.

Based on the circus surrounding ownership of Bonds' 73rd home run ball in 2001, this could actually be a precedent-setting document for future souvenir skirmishes that end up before a judge on Court TV.

The Dodgers' stipulation, which stated he had to make sure a majority of his seats were filled for both games, made the legal paper become necessary. Those two sure-sellout contests involve a team photo giveaway and the annual Fan Appreciation Day, and a near-empty pavilion would be a publicity nightmare.

To help resell about 3,000 of the tickets that he didn't funnel to friends or family, Mahan hooked up with a private broker, The Ticket Office (www.TheTicketOffice.org). He's already recouped his investment - not a surprise, considering the probable importance of the final series.

``In addition to a Bonds home run, the Dodgers and Giants will probably be battling for a division title,'' said Mahan. ``I think the most important thing is we are going to have a good time and some very deserving kids will get to attend.''

Mahan's reference was to the fact he donated more than 400 tickets to the Big Brothers and Sisters of the Greater L.A. Inland Empire, which will give some kids a chance to see the games and help the group generate sales for an upcoming fund-raiser.

Mahan also let the group resell the donated tickets, at a tax-deductible $20 each, by phone [phone], ex. 230).

Marlene Casillas, a board associate and volunteer for the group who chairs the Oct. 15 masquerade ball fund-raiser, appreciates Mahan's charitable donation.

``Some of these kids never get to leave their neighborhood, so it's very thrilling for them to get a chance to go to the game,'' said Casillas.

Besides, Casillas revealed, she's a Giants fan.

``I've never brought a glove to a game before,'' she said, ``but I will now.''