Bonds Streak Threatens Souvenir
By Corey Lyons
Contra Costa Newspapers
Sept. 20, 2001
Todd McFarlane has every reason to wince each time San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds crowds his bulky frame into the batter's box.
Each home run could be a slap in the face. ?The 40-year-old creator of the wildly popular Spawn comic book, after all, forked over $3.05 million for Mark McGwire's record 70th home run ball in 1998.
Soon, the scuff-marked sphere may not even fetch a double-take.
With 63 homers this year, Bonds could match McGwire's mark and break McFarlane's heart.
If a new single-season home run figure is scrawled into the baseball archives, McFarlane's gem would likely drop in value.
Still, there is no buyer's remorse for the man whose winning bid landed one of the greatest relics in the annals of sports memorabilia.
The catastrophic Sept. 11 attacks, he said, changed his perception of the ball and Bonds' pursuit of the record.
"All of a sudden, it doesn't seem like that big a deal anymore," he said via phone from Tempe, Ariz. "Now, it's about getting your priorities in order.
"I'm sort of trying to have fun with it. Losing the value of the ball, or not, doesn't seem to be a big personal problem as it once was."
McFarlane said he finds himself, in a strange way, cheering for Bonds as a symbol of American heroism.
"I feel myself encouraging him to go for broke on this record," he said. "Maybe it will show what a solo American can do, what he can accomplish, if he puts his mind to it."
In 1998, St. Louis first baseman McGwire and Chicago outfielder Sammy Sosa were locked in an intense home run race that resurrected America's pastime. McGwire outlasted Sosa by clearing the fence 70 times.
Phil Ozersky of St. Louis retrieved the record ball and put it up for auction.
In February 1999, McFarlane announced that he had bought the prized ball and nine other home run balls hit by McGwire and Sosa.
The ball is on display in a national traveling exhibit called the McFarlane Collection. McGwire eclipsed the home run mark held by Roger Maris that lasted 37 years.
Because of its historical significance, the item is an integral part of baseball history whether or not the record falls this year, according to memorabilia experts.
"It's a very special ball," said Rich Klein, a price guide analyst for Beckett.com in Dallas. "That was a magical summer in baseball . I wouldn't panic and say the ball would be worthless. It's a one-of-a-kind item, and how do we value one-of-a-kind items?"
Nonetheless, McFarlane does not view his $3 million purchase as a solid investment.
"What do you do, hold on to it and wait for someone to pay more? The guy I bid against was willing to stop at $1.5 million," said McFarlane, whose exhibit raises money for charity.
"I guess I could have stopped at $2 million and saved a million. I'm not sure if someone would pay more down the road as you get farther from the event and the sex appeal."
In any case, McFarlane said the exorbitant price he paid for No. 70 would likely not be topped anytime soon.
"If Bonds gets to 71," he said, "somebody has to factor in that, three years ago, someone paid far more than they should have. I think the studious investor has to factor in that if Todd's baseball can get neutered, mine can, too."
Would McFarlane be interested in No. 71?
"I'd be very curious about it," he said. "I'm no different than anyone else. I'd need to deal with how I wanted to focus my time and money." ?He paused. ?"I'd be sniffing around. I'd be not far from the action, if you will."
Contra Costa Newspapers
Sept. 20, 2001
Todd McFarlane has every reason to wince each time San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds crowds his bulky frame into the batter's box.
Each home run could be a slap in the face. ?The 40-year-old creator of the wildly popular Spawn comic book, after all, forked over $3.05 million for Mark McGwire's record 70th home run ball in 1998.
Soon, the scuff-marked sphere may not even fetch a double-take.
With 63 homers this year, Bonds could match McGwire's mark and break McFarlane's heart.
If a new single-season home run figure is scrawled into the baseball archives, McFarlane's gem would likely drop in value.
Still, there is no buyer's remorse for the man whose winning bid landed one of the greatest relics in the annals of sports memorabilia.
The catastrophic Sept. 11 attacks, he said, changed his perception of the ball and Bonds' pursuit of the record.
"All of a sudden, it doesn't seem like that big a deal anymore," he said via phone from Tempe, Ariz. "Now, it's about getting your priorities in order.
"I'm sort of trying to have fun with it. Losing the value of the ball, or not, doesn't seem to be a big personal problem as it once was."
McFarlane said he finds himself, in a strange way, cheering for Bonds as a symbol of American heroism.
"I feel myself encouraging him to go for broke on this record," he said. "Maybe it will show what a solo American can do, what he can accomplish, if he puts his mind to it."
In 1998, St. Louis first baseman McGwire and Chicago outfielder Sammy Sosa were locked in an intense home run race that resurrected America's pastime. McGwire outlasted Sosa by clearing the fence 70 times.
Phil Ozersky of St. Louis retrieved the record ball and put it up for auction.
In February 1999, McFarlane announced that he had bought the prized ball and nine other home run balls hit by McGwire and Sosa.
The ball is on display in a national traveling exhibit called the McFarlane Collection. McGwire eclipsed the home run mark held by Roger Maris that lasted 37 years.
Because of its historical significance, the item is an integral part of baseball history whether or not the record falls this year, according to memorabilia experts.
"It's a very special ball," said Rich Klein, a price guide analyst for Beckett.com in Dallas. "That was a magical summer in baseball . I wouldn't panic and say the ball would be worthless. It's a one-of-a-kind item, and how do we value one-of-a-kind items?"
Nonetheless, McFarlane does not view his $3 million purchase as a solid investment.
"What do you do, hold on to it and wait for someone to pay more? The guy I bid against was willing to stop at $1.5 million," said McFarlane, whose exhibit raises money for charity.
"I guess I could have stopped at $2 million and saved a million. I'm not sure if someone would pay more down the road as you get farther from the event and the sex appeal."
In any case, McFarlane said the exorbitant price he paid for No. 70 would likely not be topped anytime soon.
"If Bonds gets to 71," he said, "somebody has to factor in that, three years ago, someone paid far more than they should have. I think the studious investor has to factor in that if Todd's baseball can get neutered, mine can, too."
Would McFarlane be interested in No. 71?
"I'd be very curious about it," he said. "I'm no different than anyone else. I'd need to deal with how I wanted to focus my time and money." ?He paused. ?"I'd be sniffing around. I'd be not far from the action, if you will."
posted by Corey at 3:50 PM
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