What started as an attempt to honor Joe DiMaggio is turning into an ugly brawl.

San Francisco leaders tried to honor the native son by naming a playground for him. DiMaggio's estate sued in May, saying the spot — where the Yankee Clipper played sandlot baseball — wasn't fit for the honor. Now the dismayed city has asked a federal judge to dismiss the suit.

"Plaintiff offers no precedent or authority for the startling proposition that a city cannot name a landmark after a favorite son," city attorneys said in court papers.

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Morris Engelberg, a trustee for DiMaggio's estate, has said naming North Beach Playground after DiMaggio "is both morally and legally wrong. You can't name something without permission."

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