By: Alexander Fruchter
Published: Sep. 26, 2007 - New York, NY

After putting in the winning bid for Barry Bonds' home run record-breaking baseball, Hip Hop entrepreneur Marc Ecko, set up a poll to let the public decide what to do with it.He gave us three options: send the ball to Cooperstown (the Baseball Hall of Fame) as is, send the ball to Cooperstown after branding it with an asterisk, or launching the ball into outer space. The voting is now over, and a decision has been reached.

The baseball that broke Hank Aaron's home-run record will be heading to Cooperstown after all, but with an asterisk forever planted on it. The asterisk symbolizes the air of suspicion clouding Bonds' achievement that stems from his alleged steroid use. Bonds maintains that he has never knowingly used steroids, although he has been accused numerous times and linked to steroid users and suppliers.

Ecko said he will be working with the Hall of Fame to make sure the ball reaches Cooperstown. The Hall of Fame will be accepting the ball, but does not necessarily agree with the decision to brand it. Dale Petroskey, the Hall of Fame's president, told NBC's Today, "We're happy to get it. We're a non-profit history museum, so this ball wouldn't be coming to Cooperstown without Marc Ecko buying it from the fan who caught it."

Barry Bonds has been critical of Marc Ecko, calling him, "stupid. He's an idiot. He spent $750,000 on the ball and that's what he's doing with it? What he's doing is stupid. All of those options don't weigh anything. In baseball, that number [756] stands."

It was also announced last week that this season will be Barry's last in San Francisco. The former MVP will not be brought back to the Giants next year. This season marks an end to Barry's 15 year stay in San Francisco where he rose to the top of the baseball world, and became regarded by many as one of the best baseball players ever. During his time as a Giant, Barry won the NL MVP award 5 times, and also broke Mark McGwire's single season homerun record. Barry Bonds has said that he intends to play somewhere next season.