MLB Fastball 09.21.07: Scamming Over Home Run Balls
Posted by Neil Borenstein on 09.21.2007
Barry Bonds is public enemy No. 1. But for those that won his No. 755 and 756 home run balls, the publicity and advertising money being obtained through Internet campaigns must have these folks absolutely in love with Bonds. In this edition of MLB Fastball, I look at why at least one of these baseballs is the center of a Web site who’s really trying to scam people, as well as what the future holds for Bonds in San Francisco following this season.
Fate Of Home Run Balls In Your Hands?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports
Mark Ecko poses with his newest prize, and gimmick – Barry Bonds' No. 756.
You just paid over $750,000 for a baseball – what do you do?
Well, if you're fashion designer Marc Ecko, you launch a Web site that allows fans to decide the destiny of Barry Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run baseball. Ecko, who won the ball with a bid of $752,467, started the site Vote756.com to allow the people the opportunity of deciding just what happens to it.
Ecko gives three choices: send it to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown as is, brand an asterisk onto the ball and then send it to Cooperstown or launch it into space as if it never existed. At 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 25, voting ends and the decision will be made. Will the ball go to Cooperstown untouched, with a symbol designating Bonds as a cheater or shipped off to the moon never to be seen again?
I voted for just sending it to the Hall of Fame untouched, since the ball is still a part of history and will count as the ball that broke the most prestigious record in the game whether anybody likes it or not. It seems so juvenile to go this route. But, hey, Ecko's launched a gimmick and might just sell a few more T-shirts for it. Good for him, I guess.
Ecko is not the only person going this route, though. Not to be left out of all the fun, a man nobody has even heard of – or at least I haven't – purchased No. 755 and is running a very similar gimmick to Ecko.
This time, California entrepreneur Ben Padnos is giving fans the option of saving the ball or destroying the ball. After spending $186,750 on the ball that tied Hank Aaron, Padnos launched Endthedebate.com, giving visitors the option of voting for saving this piece of history or making it history.
That little contest, which was clearly only established to make money off advertising as the freakin' rates are posted RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, will be running for the next FIVE, yes FIVE, years at the very least. I mean, come on, how much money can you possibly make off advertising in just a few weeks? It just wouldn't be worth it.
There is a guarantee in the FAQ section of the page that states voting will continue until at least Aug. 4, 2012. But really, the destiny of the Web site is determined by how much people are advertising. Advertising will only be accepted until March 31, 2008. If all 7,550 ad squares are not purchased by then at $200 per square ($2 per pixel), then they will decide what happens to the baseball – NOT YOU. Meaning, the debate really only ends if people are willing to shell out cash. Yes, I can clearly see how this is about making a statement and not just a moneymaking SCAM.
I will admit, I am no math whiz here. However, I can use a calculator. And if you take the price per square of advertising - $200, and multiply that by the amount of squares – 7,550, you land at a cool $1.51-million. That will land these jokers a profit of $1,323,250 if all squares are sold. And that's really what their intention is. These people couldn't care less about what people want to do with the baseball. They don't care about allowing the public to decide if Bonds' No. 755 should really count. They don't care about baseball at all, to be honest. They just want to make money – OFF YOU.
At least with Ecko, who's gimmick I still don't really respect, there isn't this underlying motive that money matters. He paid for the ball to legitimately give people a no-strings opportunity at casting their vote on where the baseball should go – and what condition it should go in. I still think it's dumb, but at least this isn't some moneymaking ploy to try and fool you into believing what you vote for actually matters.
But Padnos and his gang are just in this to make a cool million bucks. And quite frankly, that hits one hell of a nerve with me.
So my plea to you fine folks is this. If you have the urge to try and get back at Bonds, go make your voice heard on Ecko's site. That should allow you some sense of revenge and you won't be supporting people who claim to be doing something for you, but just want your cash.
Bonds' Future
While the future of Bonds' baseball is uncertain, his playing career might be a little more concrete. After this season, it appears as if the San Francisco Giants are breaking ties with Bonds, pushing toward a youth movement instead of keeping the focus of the team on a 43-year old slugger seeing just how many homers he can hit before he breaks a hip.
That is definitely the best decision for the Giants. It seems like every year, San Francisco is the land of the dinosaurs and all the team and city has cared about is the progression of Bonds making baseball history. But by looking at the standings, one can easily tell that strategy just simply isn't working. Winning baseball games doesn't fit into that scheme anymore, and it's time the Giants shift focus to developing the team into a contender once again.
Bonds has his record, now it's time to worry about the team. And I don't think that's something San Francisco can accomplish with him around.
Looking at the NL West, the four other occupants of the division have improved over the last few seasons. The Arizona Diamondbacks have come out of nowhere to lead the division this season. The San Diego Padres have one of the most dominating pitching staffs in the Majors. The Los Angeles Dodgers field a great team, and could just afford to have a few less injuries. And the Colorado Rockies, though inconsistent still, have some good, young players keeping them competitive. The Giants, however, have taken steps back the past few years and have grown further away from competing for a World Series.
The front office showed some effort over the offseason by signing Barry Zito to a seven-year deal at $18-million per season. And though that hasn't exactly worked out as well as they would have hoped, I can't knock that kind of investment when it brings in an experienced ace to lead a pitching staff with so much potential.
If the Giants let Bonds walk after this year, they can use the $16-million they're saving on him and invest in two or three younger players that can probably provide just as much offense as Bonds is producing at this point. Bonds has 28 home runs this season with 66 RBIs, 75 runs and a .279 batting average. That's not exactly $16-million material.
Bonds has indicated he might like to play another season. If the Giants no longer want him, which again would be the right decision, does anybody else?
Though it seems like this argument comes up for a lot of players nowadays, Bonds would fit so well as a designated hitter in the American League. And I know what you're all thinking – the Yankees. Well, you're wrong. The Bronx Bombers don't need to deal with the politics that come along with bringing in Bonds considering they still have Jason Giambi around. Plus, they have enough on their hands with Álex Rodríguez, they don't have enough time or desire to spend that much money on both A-Rod and Bonds.
I think wherever Bonds goes, he'll need to settle for less money than what he's making now. He'll far from make a pittance, but I think he could still draw maybe $10- to 12-million on another team.
So even though the Giants look to get younger, he could still find a home to reach for 800 homers. He might just have to do it for less money.
On the good end of that spectrum is the fact that being a DH would provide less wear and tear on his body. Thus, he might not have to miss so many games over the course of a season because the man needs to rest so damn much. Playing more games will allow him a better shot at hitting 800 home runs, which is far from a guarantee considering the rate he's hitting long balls these days. And I'm not sure he wants to drag his career into 2009.
Regardless of his intentions, we'll have to see which way San Francisco really wants to go during the upcoming offseason. They should go with their gut on this and move toward a youth movement. Being last place in the NL West is not something to be proud of, and something needs to change.
What needs to change is the Giants need to stop building around Bonds' success and start building for a championship. With Bonds there, I don't think that can happen. And with so many aging players whose abilities are slowly diminishing, it's time to get some fresh faces out on that field. Using the money the team could be spending on Bonds for that purpose is a fairly conscientious way of doing that.
Send all comments, questions, and suggestions to br7qbsteelers@yahoo.com.
