Barry Bonds to Boycott Hall Of Fame If Ball Is Marked With Asterisk

The last homerun of Barry Bonds career in a Giants Uniform, Number 762.

Barry Bonds would boycott Cooperstown if the Hall of Fame displays his record-breaking home run ball with an asterisk.

That includes skipping his potential induction ceremony.
"I won't go. I won't be part of it," Bonds said in an interview with MSNBC that aired Thursday night. "You can call me, but I won't be there."

The ball Bonds hit for home run No. 756 this season will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Hall. Fashion designer Marc Ecko bought the ball in an online auction and set up a Web site for fans to vote on its fate. In late September, he announced fans voted to send the ball to Cooperstown with an asterisk.

Of course, the asterisk suggests Bonds' record is tainted by alleged steroid use. The slugger has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. Fans brought signs with asterisks to ballparks this season as he neared Hank Aaron's career home run mark.

Bonds has called Ecko "an idiot."

"I don't think you can put an asterisk in the game of baseball, and I don't think that the Hall of Fame can accept an asterisk," Bonds said. "You cannot give people the freedom, the right to alter history. You can't do it. There's no such thing as an asterisk in baseball."

The Greatest Slugger of the Steroids Era (who will not be in the Hall Of Fame anyway) is only trying to change the inevitable. Although I thought the ball should be without an asterisk, I think that the fans should get what they want.

Barry Bonds has decided to boycott the Hall Of Fame. The Hall Of Fame has decided to boycott Barry Bonds. Something's gotta give.

The Public Has Spoken on the Fate of Number 756

Fashion Designer Marc Ecko, with homerun ball #756.

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.

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 Wednesday announced the decision to brand it won out over the other options — sending it to Cooperstown unblemished or launching it into space.
Ecko said he believed the vote to brand the ball showed people thought "this was shrouded in a chapter of baseball history that wasn't necessarily the clearest it could be."

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.

Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey said accepting the ball did not mean the Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., endorses the viewpoint that Barry Bonds used drugs.

Hall of Fame officials and Ecko are discussing how to affix the asterisk on the ball. It's not yet known when the ball will go on display.

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.

Although I thought the ball should have gone to the Hall Of Fame unblemished, I am glad that the majority got their way. The Hall of Fame gets what they wanted (the ball), and the fans get what they want (an asterisk on the ball.) It's a win-win situation for everyone except Barry Bonds, who will be looking for a new home this offseason.

Barry Bonds Will Not Come Back to San Francisco Next Season

The San Francisco Giants have gotten all they can out of Barry Bonds. After 15 seasons with the club, Barry Bonds has been told by the San Francisco Giants that he won't play for them in 2008.
The Giants held a news conference before Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds to announce their decision. But Bonds had already issued his own statement earlier Friday on his personal Web site.

In his statement, Bonds said: "This journal will be one of my last entries as a San Francisco Giant. Yesterday, I was told by the Giants that they will not be bringing me back for the 2008 season."

Though Bonds will leave the city that he calls home, there remains a chance he will play elsewhere next season.

Barry Bonds has, in the words of the old Frank Sinatra tune, left his heart in San Francisco. I thought the only reason Barry was brought back to the Giants this season was because he was so close to breaking Hank Aaron's Home Run Record. Now he has done that, and the Giants feel they no longer have a reason to keep him. The only chance Barry has of playing again is if an American League Team like the Yankees or the Angels sign him as a Designated Hitter. Barry was already playing Designated Hitter for the Giants whenever they were in an American League Ballpark this season. Could Detroit and the Tigers be a possibility for Barry next season? Jim Leyland, Tigers Manager, was Barry's first manager in Pittsburgh. This is purely hypothetical, though.

What's the next step for Barry Bonds? His quest for the elusive World Series Pennant will continue with another team in 2008.

Fate of Barry Bonds' Number 756 to be decided Democratically

Barry Bonds broke the Major League's all time Home Run King on August 7, 2007. He broke the record against Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals.

Here's the FSN Bay Area Call with Duaine Kuiper and Mike Krukow.


Here's the ESPN Call with Dave O'Brien and Rick Sutcliffe.


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 like this idea. I think it is genius. This lets all of the Barry Bonds fans and the anti-Bonds fans to have a say in how the ball should be treated. I personally think the ball should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame without an asterisk branded on it, but that's just my opinion.

For those of you who have not voted yet, here's the web site:
http://www.vote756.com

So do your part. Get on the web site and Vote on the fate of Number 756!

2007 MLB Home Run Derby Is Tonight!

Click on the video to see Ryan Howard hit the homerun winning him the 2006 Home Run Derby and give one lucky fan a lifetime of free airline flights.


The eight competitors have been announced for tonight's Home Run Derby in San Francisco. 2006 winner Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies will attempt to defend his crown, while Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau and Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder will take their first swings at the Home Run Derby. Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Magglio Ordonez of the Detroit Tigers will also participate. Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals will participate in the event for the first time since 2003. Alex Rios of the Toronto Blue Jays will also participate, and Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies will replace Miguel Cabrera, who was going to participate, but was injured in a game on July 7.

The 2007 Home Run Derby is tonight at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Catch the Home Run Derby tonight on ESPN.

The All Star Game is tommorow night on Fox.