Auction house willing to buy 756 ball for $1M

[Eric]

Auction house willing to buy 756 ball for $1M

ESPN.com news services

How much will Barry Bonds' eventual 756th home-run ball be worth to the fan who retrieves it? At least $1 million.
A Dallas auction house has offered a $1 million bounty for the historic ball.
"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," Chris Ivy, drector of Sports Auctions for Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, said Sunday.
Bonds, who has 11 home runs this season, is just 11 homers shy of breaking Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755 home runs.
"The baseball that sets the mark could truly be considered 'priceless,' but we expect that $1 million dollars will be very tempting to the fan who catches that ball." Ivy said.

[Eric]

As a response to this, I am publicly going to state, that I will pay $1 for the 756 baseball.

I will fly out to meet the person who has the baseball and hold a ceremony to give the person the crisp 1 dollar bill.

Eric

[Jags Fan Dan]

Hmmm, can't decide which is of more value to society or...:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070523/...ancer_prize_dc

[Eric]

Heritage has changed its mind....

Auction House Drops $1 Million for Bonds's Home Run (Update1)

By Mason Levinson
June 11 (Bloomberg) -- The auction house that said it would pay $1 million for Barry Bonds's record-breaking 756th home run ball rescinded the offer after concerns about fan safety and possible legal liability.
Heritage Auction Galleries, the largest collectibles auction house, withdrew the offer for the baseball after meeting with a security official at the San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park, the Dallas-based company said in a news release. Bonds is 10 home runs shy of breaking Major League Baseball's record, held by Hank Aaron.
``We didn't hear of any way to prevent possible public safety problems, and we don't want a fan or a child injured or killed,'' Greg Rohan, Heritage president, said in a statement.
Rohan said the company, which would be willing to speak with the eventual owner about consigning the ball to an auction, wouldn't participate if there are any injuries involved in retrieving it.
Giants spokeswoman Staci Slaughter said the team welcomes Heritage's decision.
``Anytime you have a large financial bounty on a ball where you can't predict when, where or how it's going to be hit into a large crowd, that does add a whole element of stress to the situation,'' Slaughter said in a telephone interview. ``This will alleviate some of that stress.''
The ballpark will have a comprehensive security plan in effect as Bonds nears the record, which includes giving fans in the outfield stands wristbands to limit access and overcrowding.
Last year, Heritage auctioned Babe Ruth's 1933 All-Star jersey for $657,250. Its auction of items from the archive of basketball pioneer James Naismith generated more than $700,000 in winning bids.
Bonds hit his 746th home run on May 27, the seven-time National League Most Valuable Player's 12th homer this season and first since May 8. Bonds has failed to hit a home run in his last 13 Major League Baseball games.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...zO0&refer=home