Barry Bonds' No. 762 Home Run Ball Could Be Worth Up To $1M

Bonds' 762nd Home Run Ball Could Be Worth Up To $1M

Free agent LF Barry Bonds' No. 762 home run ball "could be worth $1[M]" if he does not play again, according to memorabilia experts cited by Steve Springer of the L.A. TIMES. Bonds hit the home run September 5 at Coors Field, and no one has seen the ball since the "unidentified fan who got it disappeared." SCP Auctions President David Kohler: "Who would have thought he wouldn't hit another one? I wasn't as excited about No. 756 because, as soon as he hit another home run, that was the record. But now, this would be the record." Kohler sold Bonds' No. 700 ball for $102,000, No. 755 for $186,750 and No. 756 to fashion designer Marc Ecko for over $750,000. "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane, who bought Mark McGwire's record-setting No. 70 home run ball in '98 for $3M, said he would spend up to $1M for Bonds' ball. Springer reports the ball "must be authenticated" if it surfaces, which is "no automatic feat because [MLB] had stopped marking balls pitched to Bonds after he passed" Hank Aaron's career record of 755 in August. But McFarlane said that "shouldn't be a problem" due to video showing the fan catching the ball.  Kohler notes a polygraph test could also be administered. McFarlane: "The holder of this ball would rather see Bonds hit by a meteor than taking batting practice" (L.A. TIMES, 3/6).

756*: In S.F., Henry Schulman reports Bonds' 756th home run ball, adorned with an asterisk, "could be on display" at the Baseball HOF by Opening Day. HOF VP/Communications & Education Jeff Idelson said Ecko still has the ball that fans voted online to send to Cooperstown "affixed with an asterisk." Idelson: "We'll display it, but the text accompanying the ball will cover when it was hit and how it ended up in Cooperstown. It's meant to be educational." He said the asterisk "represents the stigma Barry had as he chased the home run record." Idelson: "The asterisk doesn't implicate Barry. Fans will have to make their own decision. We would never suggest how they should judge things" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/6).