Barry's 756 Ball - Vote Now!

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Posted By: <b>Bob C</b><p>A little OT. This guy won the Barry Bonds 756 homerun ball (for about $750k) and has a little poll going.<br />Will Leon induldge this?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vote756.com/marcecko/" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://www.vote756.com/marcecko/</a>

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Posted By: <b>peter ullman</b><p>that's crazy...I say banish it to the heavens...destroy all evidence!!!!<br /><br />pete in mn

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Posted By: <b>leon</b><p>I don't mind this post/thread about this...Personally I could care less what they do with it....I still think Ruth and Aaron are the home run champions....

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Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>I don't think historic items like this should be destroyed. Whatever you may think of the ball and the record...it's a piece of baseball history and it belongs in Cooperstown.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Prizner</b><p>that guy has too much money.

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Posted By: <b>JimB</b><p>I agree with Dan. It belongs in Cooperstown.<br />JimB

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Posted By: <b>peter ullman</b><p>ok then...cooperstown with the asterisk?<br /><br />pete in mn

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Posted By: <b>Steve Murray</b><p>I agree with Dan and Jim B. The ball belongs in Cooperstown and that is the way I voted.

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>I like the idea of sending the ball into outer space.<br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>Chad</b><p>Let Cooperstown have it and then let history decide what to think of it. We're too much in the moment now to have any wisdom about the ball as an artifact. When the Cubs win a championship (big IF, I know) I think everyone will regret that they destroyed the Steve Bartman ball. You never know what the future holds so it's better to be safe than sorry.<br /><br />--Chad

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Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>Chad, Cubs fans will claim that it was because they blew up the Bartman ball that they won a championship.<br /><br />And I agree with your whole assessment...we are too much in the time to give the overall picture a good look. I'm guessing many of the same people who collect Black Sox items will be voting to send the ball into orbit. We have no clue how history will view this era in baseball and it would be unfair to destroy an item that is truly historic even if Barry's record will be looked at as infamous.

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Posted By: <b>Chad</b><p>I hadn't thought of that, but it's an excellent point. The relics of guys like Jesse James or John Dillinger or Billy the Kid are in that same vein. It's interesting how over time the villains get lionized. One of the great romantic heroes of Negro League ball is Dave Brown, mostly because he killed a man and then, while on the lam, played for various semi-pro teams all across the country. At the time, I bet he didn't seem like such a romantic figure, though.<br /><br />--Chad

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Posted By: <b>brian</b><p>i voted to brand it with an asterisk

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Posted By: <b>Chad</b><p>It's a good thing they didn't have internet polling around when Maris hit 61.<br /><br />--Chad

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Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>I vote that we brand every baseball card of Joe Jackson, Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Pete Rose, et cetera with a stamp that says "CHEATER" on it.

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>I say we put the ball in a satellite and have the satellite go around the earth until people figure out what to do with the ball. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>Steve</b><p>I agree Dan, but can you hold off until my current auction is over please? <img src="/images/wink.gif" height=14 width=14>

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Posted By: <b>dstudeba</b><p>Interesting how the asterisk is part of his company brand....<br /><br /><img src="http://www.yukka.co.uk/mlogo.php?manufacturerid=4">

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Why put an asterisk on the ball, it's not his fault, he was an innocent bystander that was pounded by Barry's bat. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>PAS</b><p>"I like the idea of sending the ball into outer space.<br /><br />Peter C."<br /><br />Peter, an affinity for space shots? <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br />

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Posted By: <b>Mike H</b><p>I say brand it so people will always ask why it's there and be told what a mockery he made of the most important record in sports. Hopefully be told what a jerk he was as well.

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Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>Nobody will forget that Bonds was a jerk. Maybe he'll commission a book near the end of his life where he'll try to "set the record straight" ala Ty Cobb. I say leave it as is, put it in the museum and let the story be told. Branding an * on it I suppose would make the story a tad bit more interesting, but IMO this guy that bought it only did so in order to inject himself and his company into the story.

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>It's amazing how negative stories about our hobby go on and on...while positive stories have such limited media coverage. I'm not just talking about HR Ball #756 here. Look at O.J.'s present "armed robbery" and theft of collectibles story. The media is really running with it. I can see the story dragging out a long time.<br /><br />By the way, I take back anything I might have said about O.J. being intelligent. For him to get into this present mess indicates that I really overestimated his intelligence. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Bonds makes my skin crawl but the record, however tainted, is his and his ball is historic. If Hitler's car and paintings are considered historically significant (which they are) why shouldn't we preserve Bonds' baseball?

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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>Peter, that's the way local and national news works. They want what's sensational.<br /><br />If someone robs a drug store of $10, that's not important news.<br /><br />If someone robs a drug store of $10 while naked, wearing a big lime green fro wig and on roller states, that will be front page story at the CNN and Fox News web page.<br /><br />Also notice how these news organizations cover big auctions, whether Sotheby's or Mastro. The headlines are about what sells for the most money. Whatever it is, if it sells for a record amount, it's a headline on the MSNB or ESPN web site. The only way they can relate to a rare paintings or memorabilia auction is $$$, which is the basest and most shallow way of looking at art and memorabilia.

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Posted By: <b>Cobby33</b><p>Bonds compared to Jesse James or John Dillinger or Billy the Kid????

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Posted By: <b>Chris Counts</b><p>Although I think the steroid scandal is way overblown and Barry is just one of a generation of steroid users, I still say blast the darn thing into outer space. I'll bet there is a law against blasting things into space, though. The owner might have to be content to simply blow it up ...

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Cobby, all three that you named were true anti-heroes; Bonds is more of an anti-villian. Bottom line is you'd be better off with a Jesse James poster on your wall rather than that Barry Bonds full-size one.

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Posted By: <b>Paul</b><p>What if the ball tainted by Barry gets blasted off into space, & then enlarges like Barry, & comes back to earth as a deep impact event? That could be very bad.

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>I've already voted in the internet poll. The owner of the ball is really taking this pretty seriously, he's going to have the results tabulated by an independent auditor.<br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Peter, I'm fairly certain that the owner is more concerned about any publicity that he can generate from this online poll than the plight of the ball.

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Posted By: <b>Peter_Spaeth</b><p>Of course that is his motive. A few extra sales here and there and he makes up the cost and then some.

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Posted By: <b>Cobby33</b><p>Jeff-<br />Where were we on that poster bet again? <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Looks like they are going to put an asterisk on the ball and send it to the Hall. Seems like a reasonable decision. <br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>dstudeba</b><p>That is what they were going to do all along. I wonder if they even calculated the votes just out of interest?

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>As I've made clear repeatedly, I hate Bonds. But defacing a historical object or blasting it into space is wrong.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>I think the voting was strongly in favor of blasting it into space; hard to imagine this was a real poll.

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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>Shows that a fashion designer and his online poll have more power, initiative and action over this issue than Selig and the Players Union would have in one hundred years. Perhaps if baseball even addressed these issues, a fashion designer wouldn't have had to do it for them. In fact, I bet that if Selig and MLB had taken a stand on the issue (any stand mind you, whether it was A or B or C or D, anything exhibiting backbone or initiative), the fashion designer would not have felt compelled to do this.<br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>john/z28jd</b><p> I think it would be great if the Hall of Fame just said you know what,we have stuff from Barry to mark the occasion,you can keep your ball and try to sell it now for half what you paid now that it has a huge mark on it. They dont need the ball and even if he does give it to them they dont have to display it,thousands of items donated to the museum never see the light of day. If they want they could display it and have the asterisk either facing down or towards the back of a display where no one can see it. I honestly dont see them stooping to a childish level and highlighting the defacement on the ball

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Guys,<br /><br />I don't like the idea of defacement too much either. But I can envision a great Saturday Night Live routine where the owner of the ball and the Powers that Be at the Hall meet and start arguing about the size of the mark that they are going to make on the ball.<br /><br />After struggling with each other and the ball they accidentally make over 20 varying marks of various sizes. They then decide that it would be better to send the ball to the moon on a rocket. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>It would be richly symbolic if the museum displayed the ball so as to visually hide an asterisk from visitors all who know the ball has an asterisk.

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Guys,<br /><br />Believe it or not Marion Jones has admitted to using steroids...what's interesting is she told family and friends that the coach told her it was only flaxseed oil.<br /><br />Strange...does that mean that Barry also will admit to using steroids soon?<br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Peter. Isn't Jones' excuse the same one that Bonds has already given -- that he knowingly took a PED but was told it was something else?<br /><br />Josh: how many times have I told you that you simply cannot trust a UNC grad when it comes to drug usage? <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />Edited to add: woops, how could I possibly think that Marion Jones actually graduated?

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Posted By: <b>Brian Weisner</b><p><br /> Hi Jeff,<br /> You know better than to mess with my Heels... Jones was fast before she did or didn't use roids, but she's an individual not UNC. If she's guilty ban her, but I don't know of any other UNC grads that have been under a cloud. Besides, she wasn't accused of anything until 8-10 years after leaving UNC..... Be well Brian<br /><br /><br />PS The Basketball team is going to be awesome.... and in 2-3 years Davis will have the Football team in good shape.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Brian, as a Duke grad I prefer to tar all heels with Jones' misdeeds. It just seems to make more sense that way.

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Posted By: <b>Brian Weisner</b><p><br /> Hi Jeff,<br /> I knew you were a Dookie, but Jones's mistakes have nothing to do with the Heels... Care to make a friendly wager on Basketball this year? Or would you like to go to the game with me? LMK Be well Brian<br /><br /><br />PS I didn't see the story on Yahoo about Jones until now. If she cheated, she should be banned, period. I don't care where she went to college.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Brian, I'll take a pass on a basketball wager this year. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> Where were you when I was looking to bet from 1999 through 2005!

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Posted By: <b>Brian Weisner</b><p><br /> Hi Jeff,<br /> I was here in 2005 and taking on all bets... But despite you're Dookie handicap, I will still take you to a game sometime if you like. Coach K still hasn't figured out a way to defense a player like Vince Carter, and he's still shaking his head about the way Sean May abused them.....<br /><br /> Be well Brian<br /><br /><br />PS Sorry guys, Jeff and I aren't talking about cards, but the greatest rivalry in sports....

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Brian, I can't respond to that but to provide this simple equation:<br /><br />K (3) = Dean (2) + Roy (1)

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Posted By: <b>Brian Weisner</b><p> Hi Jeff,<br /> Ok, Dean retired. K done with 3, and Roy still going.... I'll take Roy..<br /><br /> Would you like to bet who gets there next Championship? Roy or K? I'll take Roy.... name you're card. Be well Dookie Brian<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />PS I'm sorry for hijacking the thread..<br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>When Roy wins one with his own players wake me up. As for Dean, he coached 8 more years than K and has one less NC. <br /><br />Bottom line: K = Dean + Roy and he did it in 27 less coaching seasons.

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Posted By: <b>Brian Weisner</b><p><br /> Hi Jeff,<br /> I don't remember debating Dean vs K, but was talking about the future, which is Roy. I guess you are staying with the "Vintage" theme because of the board, but I will still take Roy VS K for as long as they go at each other. Be well Brian

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Brian, I prefer to address known results. (Or at least until the time comes that Roy actually overcomes K -- and then I will prefer to address the future) <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>If the report is accurate, I wonder what's her take on having sued someone (Victor Conte) for $25 million for saying what she has now admitted.<br /><br />My guess (I said guess) is that her plea involves her admitting the use of steroids or at the least signing her name to a document that contains damning evidence, and she was alerting her close ones before they heard it from someone else. If so, presumably she had been telling these family members and friends she never used steroids.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Boy, do you think Victor Conte might be pissed at having gotten sued by her now? At least Bonds didn't have the audacity to sue someone for saying he took steroids.

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>The feds have said that after Marion Jones, they are going after Barry. Looks like they are still mad at him for his spring training bravado when he said, "...bring it on." Well, they are coming Barry.<br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Guys,<br /><br />I know nobody has a subscription to Playboy, I'm sure you guys wouldn't be caught dead looking at the rag. But in this month's there's an interview and picture spread of Kimberly Bell. Remember she was Barry's girlfriend for quite a while. She has the inside scoop on the shrunken testicles.<br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Thanks for resurrecting this thread with such a worthwhile, intelligent post.

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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Jeff,<br /><br />Now you are back to your normal self. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />Peter C.

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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Pointing out idiocy? Yes, I've never changed.<br /><br />Edited to add <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> &lt;--- note smiley