Vote what to do with Bonds' 756 HR ball.

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

Public to decide fate of Bonds' record-breaking ball

By MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press Writer
September 17, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The fate of Barry Bonds' record-breaking home run ball is now in the public's hands after its buyer announced Monday he was taking votes on whether to give the ball to the Hall of Fame, brand it with an asterisk or blast it into space.

Fashion designer Marc Ecko revealed himself as Saturday's winning bidder in the online auction for the ball that Bonds hit last month to break Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. The final selling price for No. 756 was $752,467, well above most predictions.

Ecko had not even taken possession of the ball before setting up a Web site that lets visitors vote on which of the three outcomes they think the ball most deserves. He plans to announce the final tally after voting ends Sept. 25.

"I bought this baseball to democratize the debate over what to do with it," Ecko wrote on the Web site. "The idea that some of the best athletes in the country are forced to decide between being competitive and staying natural is troubling."

The 35-year-old Ecko is known for his pop culture pranks, including an infamous Internet video that showed him apparently infiltrating an airport tarmac and spray-painting graffiti on Air Force One. The incident turned out to be a hoax.

But the auction house that handled the sale confirmed that Ecko is indeed the ball's buyer.

"This transaction is happening and is going to be done by the end of the day," David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions, said Monday.

Kohler called Ecko's decision "brilliant" and said he had already visited the Web site and voted to send the ball to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Matt Murphy, a 21-year-old student and construction supervisor from New York, emerged from a scrum with the ball on Aug. 7. He decided to sell it, he said, because he couldn't afford the tax bill that would result from holding onto the ball.

Some tax experts said Murphy would have owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes based on a reasonable estimate of the ball's value even if he had never sold it. He may also have faced capital gains taxes as the ball gained value.

"This either makes him a lunatic or a genius, one of those two," Murphy said when told of Ecko's actions. "I'm leaning toward genius."

Murphy said he planned to vote to send the ball to Cooperstown.

Ecko himself said he voted to brand the ball with an asterisk, a reference to the belief of some Bonds detractors that the Giants slugger's record is tainted by his alleged use of performance-enhancing substances. Bonds has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.

Ecko said what really interests him is seeing what happens when an "American Idol" approach comes together with a serious public debate over drugs in sports.

"My vote really doesn't matter," said Ecko, who identifies himself as a New York Yankees fan. "The American public will tell us what to do with it."

Click to vote!

I like his clothes, thus I will vote. I voted to put the * on it, then send it to the HOF.

i voted for bestow it...

times, they are a' changin...juicin is with me (they'll get recompense later in life )

The ball, in my opinion, clearly belongs in the Hall.

my first thought was to brand the ball then send it to the hall but after thinking about it, a shit load of players in baseball are on the juice and they aint breaking homerun records so whatever, good for bonds

Uh...I sent it into space and regretted it. I should've taken the *.

Hey, "Kool Moe Dee" is back to shadowgrin.

I say bestow it. Let everyone discuss and make up their mind about asterisks and whatnot until they're sick of talking about it, but all the same it's noteworthy historical sports memorabilia. Defacing it would be a bit crass I reckon, though not without reason or wit.

I took the asterisk. I don't have a whole lotta respect for an accomplishment that was made through juicing. He deserves something like losing a gold medal in the Olympics after violating drug restrictions.

I vote shoot it into space, but that's because I'd like to see anything shot into space, it truly has nothing to do with Barry Bonds or the ball at all. I actually think it belongs in the hall of fame, but space is much cooler.

Silas, just wait. someday space will be full of garbage and you won't be able to cruise around without running into baseballs, diet coke bottles and voltswagens.

Bestow it.
Just like Saura said, a lot of baseball players are on the juice, but they aren't breaking any records.
But I bet it'll end up being branded with the asterisk.

Just like Saura said, a lot of baseball players are on the juice, but they aren't breaking any records.

So now you guys are accepting (can't really find the right word) Bonds just because he accomplished more with juice? So if a lot of university students cheats (mostly on jsut a few tests), but one of them cheats on most of them and gets a great average, he desevered the best studend award or whatever-you-call-it?

I voted for the asterisk. Though I'm not a baseball follower, most of the time I ever hear of him, it's always "Juice this, juice that, asterisk this, asterisk that" and I'm inclined to believe it. But I'd say a sticker would be better rather than ironing the asterisk on. Cause you never know...

I voted for an asterisk as well. So many "normal" balls in the HOF, might as well have one with a * on it. How cool is the *?

I don't really care though, I just felt like voting for something. (Hmm, perhaps this was the same mentality a lot of voters had when Bush was re-elected.)

I voted to blast it off to space. Same reason as the Korver lover.

I voted for the asterisk. Though I'm not a baseball follower, most of the time I ever hear of him, it's always "Juice this, juice that, asterisk this, asterisk that" and I'm inclined to believe it. But I'd say a sticker would be better rather than ironing the asterisk on. Cause you never know...

A sticker? a sticker can be removed. If you're agreeing the record is tarnished then a branding iron wins hands down. I dont think the record is tarnished so i'm just voting to bestow it cuz i have a feeling if it was one of my favorite players breaking the record and not barry ,i'd be pissed at all the controversy

Just like Saura said, a lot of baseball players are on the juice, but they aren't breaking any records.

So now you guys are accepting (can't really find the right word) Bonds just because he accomplished more with juice? So if a lot of university students cheats (mostly on jsut a few tests), but one of them cheats on most of them and gets a great average, he desevered the best studend award or whatever-you-call-it?

i am not accepting it, but if you brand that ball you should just go ahead and put a asterisk next to alot of the records in all sports.

Like the Spurs championship, every game Donaghy was ref, and the England-Argentina world cup game featuring the "Hand of God"...just to name a few....

I voted for an asterisk as well. So many "normal" balls in the HOF, might as well have one with a * on it. How cool is the *?

I don't really care though, I just felt like voting for something. (Hmm, perhaps this was the same mentality a lot of voters had when Bush was re-elected.)

I think the * could be a good gimmick to get people to the HOF. only die hard baseball fans will trek to see some old balls but people will go to see the infamous "* ball".

Like the Spurs championship, every game Donaghy was ref, and the England-Argentina world cup game featuring the "Hand of God"...just to name a few....

the spurs championship really angers me lol.

Haha, Bonds' response was priceless. He apparently called the buyer of the ball (Mark Ecko) an idiot.

Haha, Bonds' response was priceless. He apparently called the buyer of the ball (Mark Ecko) an idiot.

thats pretty much sounds like bonds.

Put it back in the hopper at AT&T Park - it's just a frigging ball, no different than any other.

Put the ball in the hall. So many players were on someting during most of the 90s/early 2000s that the playing field was more level then any of us can believe.

Barry is the greatest home run hitter of all time, and he deserves to be the Home Run King. Period, end of story.

Barry is the greatest home run hitter of all time, and he deserves to be the Home Run King. Period, end of story.

Yeah, fuck Hank Aaron, it's not like he got the record the right way. Barry Bonds obviously deserves this hard earned record.