756 Has Been Hit, But What is it Worth?
With Bonds’ 756th home run clearing the right center field fence last night in San Francisco, speculation began immediately in my mind regarding the value of the ball for the lucky fan who caught it. Certainly we will all find out soon enough with the inevitable auction that will determine the price, but until then, (much like his career) let the speculation run rampant!
It’s ironic that this comes the same week that has a fan holding out A-Rod’s 500th home run ball for as much as he can get for it. Bonds has already stated that he has no interest in the 756 ball, ruling out a similar situation in this case. Estimates on the value of Rodriguez’s 500th home run ball has ranged from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on who you ask. Mantle’s 500th home run ball sold for $144,000 at auction. However, both of those guys were fan favorites who represent a purity about the game to fans. Bonds, despite what has or hasn’t been proven, certainly does not represent that to fans.
So the debate begins, are there enough fans of Bonds, or the record itself, to bid this ball up into the stratosphere, or will it fall under these marks in terms of value? I certainly don’t think it will get anywhere close to the ridiculous mark of $3 million that the McGwire home run ball got. Bonds single season home run record ball got a paltry $60,000, and then got resold for $14,400. Certainly, that is evidence that the cynicism and negative emotion surrounding this ball will keep the value low, but on the other hand, this is the only 756th home run ball in baseball history. Let the bidding begin!
