Barry Bonds might not be in the Hall of Fame, but his feats still command respect among collectors.
The ball he hit to tie Hank Aaron’s career record of 755 home runs sold for $102,000 on Friday night at Heritage, the first public sale of the ball in nearly 17 years.
Despite the long hiatus from the auction circuit, the ball didn’t appreciate in value — instead, falling short of its only other recorded sale back in 2007.
CLLCT'S FULL COVERAGE OF HERITAGE SUMMER PLATINUM AUCTIONS:
- Babe Ruth ‘Called Shot’ jersey sells for record $24.12 million
- Jackie Robinson 1951 jersey sells for record $5.52 million
- Mickey Mantle jersey from 1952-53 World Series sells for $3 million
- Hank Aaron rookie jersey sells for record $2.1 million
- Jackie Robinson debut ticket sells for $324,000, third-highest price for unsigned ticket
- Michael Jordan jersey from 'Last Dance' season sells for $360,000
- Ty Cobb T206 card sells for near-record $870k
It has been a long journey for Bond’s record-tying ball.
First, the ball travelled the 60 feet, 6 inches from pitcher Clay Hensley to home plate on the night of Aug. 4, 2007.
Then it reversed course, struck by Bonds' bat, speeding 382 feet to the left-center field stands of San Diego’s Petco Park.
Waiting with an open hand was a 33-year-old plumber named Adam Hughes, who caught the ball and was briskly escorted to the bowels of the stadium to meet with MLB officials to authenticate the ball.
“I’m really happy for Bonds,” Hughes said. “He made a lifetime achievement, and I feel very fortunate that I caught this ball. Never in a million years did I expect it."
While happy for Bonds’ achievement, Hughes wasn’t planning on handing the ball over before receiving a pay day. He quickly placed the ball at auction, via Sotheby's/SCP auction in September.
The 755th home run ball sold for $186,750, slightly low of the $200,000 estimate. No. 756, which was sold in the same auction, went for $752,467, shocking experts who predicted $500,000.
Home run balls from controversial sluggers have proven to be risky purchases over the years. Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball sold for a whopping $3 million in 1998 to comic book artist Todd McFarlane. At the time, that marked the highest price paid for any piece of sports memorabilia.
Today, experts value the ball around $250,000.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct. You can follow him on X at @Will__Stern.