DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Verdict on Bonds 756 home run ball is in

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-bonds-756ball&prov=ap&type=lgns

Baseball Barry Bonds hit for home run No. 756 to be branded with an asterisk

By RICK FREEMAN, AP Sports Writer
September 26, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- The ball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame, its owner said Wednesday.

Fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought the ball in an online auction, set up a Web site for fans to vote on the ball's fate, and the decision to brand it won out over the other options, sending it to the museum unblemished or launching it into space.

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"We're going to be working with the folks at the Hall of Fame," Ecko said on NBC's "Today" show.

Ecko, whom Bonds called "an idiot" last week, had the winning bid Sept. 15 in the online auction for the ball that Bonds hit Aug. 7 to break Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. The final selling price was $752,467, well above most predictions that assumed Bonds' status as a lightning rod for the steroids debate in baseball would depress the value.

The asterisk suggests that Bonds' record is tainted by alleged steroid use. The slugger has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. Fans brought signs with asterisks on them to ballparks as he neared Aaron's hallowed mark.

Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey, also interviewed on the show, said accepting the ball did not mean the Hall endorses the viewpoint that Barry Bonds used drugs.

"We're happy to get it," he said. "We're a nonprofit history museum, so this ball wouldn't be coming to Cooperstown without Marc Ecko buying it from the fan who caught it."

The Giants announced Friday they will part with Bonds after this season, the seven-time NL MVP's 15th in San Francisco and 22nd in the majors.



Updated on Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007 8:10 am, EDT

LOL Branded,,, marked with the cowards shame... Reminds me of a TV show in the 60's Staring Chuck Connors,, also known as the Rifleman... Is my age showing?

I think this is a good thing. MLB won't asterisk anything he has done, but having the ball in the HOF with one, will make sure the dirty little secret of MLB and Bonds won't be forgotten by anyone for a long long time.

The HOF will never accept that branded ball.

Seriously? I never thought they would take it once they branded it. That's funny, actually.

I didn't read the article, sorry. That's how little I really care about it.

Yeah, I don't care either.

It would be funny if the HOF displayed the ball so people couldn't see the asterisk.

Depending on the size of the asterisk, they could easily rotate the ball in a manner that the asterisk is not visible.

They should brand it with 756 small asterisks. That way any way you turn it more than one is displayed.

I wanted to vote for option D... blow the ball into smitherens, too bad that wasn't listed. It's could be just like Baroid's credibility and reputation as well as his chances of making it to the HOF.

I think the Hall will be happy to have it with an asterick on it, makes it unique amongst all the other balls there are there. Plus, it has more historical significance that way.

This is awesome. I voted on the website to put the asterisk on it. And the HOF accepts it! Even better.

Wizards' Arenas wants to buy Bonds' 756th ball to prevent asterisk

WASHINGTON (AP) -- If Gilbert Arenas has his way, the baseball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th career homer will never be branded with an asterisk.

Arenas' solution? He wants to buy the ball.

Fashion designer Marc Ecko bought the ball in an online auction, then set up a Web site so people could vote to determine its fate. Ecko announced the winning choice this week: branding the ball with an asterisk before it's sent to the Hall of Fame.

"I don't think he should mess up history like that," Arenas said Friday.

"It's history. It's still history. I mean, the guy's a man before he's some big slugger," he added. "I mean, how you just going to take what this man's done for his career and ... say, 'Hey, you were accused of this. You allegedly did this. I want to take this away from you.'? I mean, what if we took away your Ecko company? I mean, why graffiti the ball?"

Later Friday, Arenas posted an entry on his blog making the same point.

"I'll buy the ball from you Ecko for $800,000. If Barry Bonds is found guilty, I'll give it back to you. I'm not going to let you go around like some little superhero," the blog says. "I'll put it in my hall of fame. The Gilbert Hall of Fame for Athletes no matter what you did."

Niiiiiiiiiiiice!!!!!

The asterisk idea is idiotic. And so are the folks who voted for it.