Should the Baseball HOF accept a defaced 756 HR baseball?

Question

In an ignorant marketing ploy, designer of K-Fed-style clothing Marc Ecko has decided to brand Barry Bonds' 756th Home Run ball with an asterisk. (He won't explain what the asterisk is for).
The National Baseball Hall Of Fame plans to accept this ball and display it.
Do you think they should?
If not, sign the petition
http://www.petitiononline.com/756/

Would the people calling Bonds a cheater please provide proof?

Defacing such an historical baseball item should not be condoned, in my opinion. He bought it, he can deface it. But the HOF doesn't have to accept it. Bonds offered them many other items.

btw, Does everyone realize that we have no proof of how the voting really went, and that anyone who voted was allowed to vote as many times as they wanted to? What a farce!

Diane, You have no idea what you are talking about.

Where do you get your information?

Diane...
"He quickly got bigger" Got proof?
"He suddenly had more power." Really? News to me. Got proof?
"So everytime he was injected, he thought he was taking something else?"
Injected with what? What are you talking about? Proof?
"The guy knew what he was doing." What was he doing? Got proof of any wrongdoing?
"He knew it was illegal." What was illegal? Got proof?
"But he did it anyway." Did what? Got proof?
"He went against the rules of the game"
Really? Which rules are those? Got proof of him going against any rules?
"He knew he wouldn't put up the numbers he has today without it."
Without what? Got proof?
"Being a true player means respecting the game and he has done the absolute opposite of that throughout his career."
That is 100% entirely incorrect. The person disrespecting the game is Marc Ecko, and anyone who voted to deface the ball.
"Plain and simple, he cheated."
Who? Ecko? How did Bonds cheat? Got proof?

To summarize, Diane, you don't know what you're talking about, and obviously know and care nothing about baseball.

Drwhofan> Maybe you should stick to watching dumb British TV shows.

You obviously know nothing about bonds or baseball.

"ecko released the voter info, you could only vote once per ip address. i voted. "

Not true at all. Anyone could vote as many times as they wanted, and I doubt very many people voted at all. Ecko probably did most of the voting himself.

"The fans voted online to brand the asterisk into the ball to stand for a tarnished record. "

No they didn't. No real baseball fan would have voted for that. I think ecko and his employees did all the voting.

No way to verify the votes.

Answer 1

Sure Ecko can do with it what he would like but I think that the Hall of Fame should make a stand and say no thanks to him when he tries to donate it. No matter what your feelings are about Bonds he still hit the home runs and nothing at this point will take that fact back, whether people want to not acknowledge him or not (people forget that many whites in the South did not want to acknowledge Hank Aaron as the champ because he was not worthy of beating the Babe). This is a peice of History and by branding it they have ruined it, it would be liek torching Independence Hall and then giving part of the facade to the City and say "I paid for it and people wanted it burned so I did it." No matter what this is a peice of history and should be treated as such.

Answer 2

This question came up the other day and my answer is that they should not accept the ball. I have already signed the petition. Wayner, my question for you is "if the ball belongs to baseball and the fans of baseball what right does anyone have to deface the ball?. Peter V: of course Ecko can do what he wants with the ball, what we are saying is the HOF should not accept his offer if the ball is defaced. Peter V: I did not say the ball belongs to the fans, Werner above me said it belongs to the fans. I am sure you agree that the HOF has every right to refuse the ball, as a contribution to the HOF, if it is defaced. Diane: I say Bonds never broke any rules of the game, can you tell me precisely what rules you are talking about and when he broke them?

Answer 3

I find it quite humorous how people are STILL saying, "how do we know he took the steroids on purpose?" You people can't be serious. He quickly got bigger. He suddenly had more power. So everytime he was injected, he thought he was taking something else? Never once thought it was steroids? Get real. The guy knew what he was doing. He knew it was illegal. But he did it anyway. He went against the rules of the game he claims to love so much. He knew he wouldn't put up the numbers he has today without it. Being a true player means respecting the game and he has done the absolute opposite of that throughout his career. Plain and simple, he cheated. By all means, put that asterisk into the HOF.

****************
I'd like to know exactly what I'm incorrect on here, Pin. Don't just say "you don't know what you're talking about." Give me a run down of what I supposedly don't know. I'd LOVE to hear this. If you're a Bonds fan, that's fine. Support the guy. But you can't deny what he has done over his career just because you like him. My cousin may go rob a bank because he's low on cash. I love him because he's my cousin, but it doesn't change the fact that he robbed a bank. There's really nothing difficult to understand about what he did. He cheated. It can't be simplified anymore than that.

Answer 4

Cmon, it technically belongs to Mark Ecko..and he can do with it as he pleases..
If you spent over $750,000 on something, would you want other people telling you what you can and cannot do with it? that is the beauty of capitalism and the free country we live in...
I think it is ok, because this way it will always be known, throughout the remainder of baseball as a professional sport, that that hallowed record set by Hank Aaron was broken by a known cheater (yes he did have steroids in his body, tho he claimed they were supplement given by the team trainer, a good lifelong friend of his)...
Asterisk is generally to footnote something in literature, thus the asterisk on the ball is a symoblic denotation of a footnote in the record book that the HR record was broken by "suspect" means.
OF course the hall of fame is going to accept it, in any condition, and who is anyone else to tell Mr. Ecko (the designer, not the LOST character) what he can or cant do with it.
ANd to the "top contributor" who said it belongs to all fans of baseball etc.. it does not, it belongs to a private citizen, mr mark ecko, and as such he can do with it whatever he feels like doing.

Answer 5

peter, he did exactly what you just said. He bought the ball for $750,000 then let people decide what he's going to do with it.

This was all a publicity stunt, he cares nothing about baseball. He's only concerned with being on TV and getting cheap (yes 750k is cheap,) advertising.

The Hall should decline this moron's offer to donate the ball for destroying the integrity of the game and the Hall itself.
.

Answer 6

Of course they should accept it. The HOF is for the fans and the fans voted online to brand the asterisk into the ball to stand for a tarnished record. If the fans wanted the asterisk then why not put into the HOF for them.

Answer 7

I think the HOF loves this solution because they'd love to put the asterik on it themselves but don't have enough evidence to do so. Since someone else put the asterik on it they get what they probably wanted, but can say they had nothing to do with it. Personally, I'm fine with defacing the ball since he defaced the record book.

Answer 8

The hall is lucky to have it donated. They cannot purchase items so everything must be donated. People voted, the ball will be forever marked. Now if we could only do the same to Bonds all would be good.


edit:
ecko released the voter info, you could only vote once per ip address. i voted.

Answer 9

You do know a ball is round and can be turned so that the side with the asterisk is not showing?

Answer 10

yes its a record breaking ball steriords or not it needs 2 be in the hall but the astrick needs 2 be there for furture generations to know it was in the seriord era