$1 Million Bounty on Bonds' Record-Breaking Baseball
Rich Mueller
May 14, 2007
A Dallas, Texas auction company is offering to pay $1 million to purchase the baseball that Barry Bonds is expected to hit this season to establish a new career home run record of 756.
"We invite the lucky owner who delivers this historic baseball, as verified by Major League Baseball, to redeem it for a $1 million bounty at a Dallas news conference within 15 days of the record-breaking homer," said Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions for Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas.
Bonds is expected to break legendary Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron's home run total of 755 by early summer.
"The career home run record is one of the most significant milestones in American sport," explained Ivy.
"It's an individual achievement that illustrates consummate skill, power and durability in our national pastime. The baseball that sets the mark could truly be considered 'priceless,' but we expect that one million dollars will be very tempting to the fan who catches that ball."
If the owner decides to let the market determine the price tag on the baseball, Heritage will waive its standard seller's fee and offer the baseball in a public auction.
"There is a very strong chance that this baseball will see heavy bidding at auction."
Bonds' 715th home run ball, caught by a fan waiting in line at an outfield seating area concession stand in San Francisco, sold for $220,100. The homer pushed Bonds into second place on the all-time list.
Last summer, the ball hit by Babe Ruth in 1933 for the first home run in an All Star game history, sold via another auction company for $800,000.
"We invite the lucky owner who delivers this historic baseball, as verified by Major League Baseball, to redeem it for a $1 million bounty at a Dallas news conference within 15 days of the record-breaking homer," said Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions for Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas.
Bonds is expected to break legendary Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron's home run total of 755 by early summer.
"The career home run record is one of the most significant milestones in American sport," explained Ivy.
"It's an individual achievement that illustrates consummate skill, power and durability in our national pastime. The baseball that sets the mark could truly be considered 'priceless,' but we expect that one million dollars will be very tempting to the fan who catches that ball."
If the owner decides to let the market determine the price tag on the baseball, Heritage will waive its standard seller's fee and offer the baseball in a public auction.
"There is a very strong chance that this baseball will see heavy bidding at auction."
Bonds' 715th home run ball, caught by a fan waiting in line at an outfield seating area concession stand in San Francisco, sold for $220,100. The homer pushed Bonds into second place on the all-time list.
Last summer, the ball hit by Babe Ruth in 1933 for the first home run in an All Star game history, sold via another auction company for $800,000.
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