A Ball Just Doesn't Go As Far As It Used To

It's official: Barry's balls are shrinking. Um, we mean the worth of Barry's balls is ... no. What we mean to say is, oh forget it. Let's start over. Baseball collector and comic book artist Todd McFarlane is not as interested in Barry's balls as he once was ... Dammit!

The kid who caught home run No. 714 on Saturday is probably not in for as big a payday as he imagined. The orb, snagged in Oakland by one Tyler Snyder, a young twerp from Pleasanton, is estimated to be worth $100,000; far less than one might expect. McFarlane, creator of the comic book Spawn, co-owner of the Edmonton Oilers and collector of fine sports memorabilia, says he would bid on it, but only up to $70,000. That's saying something coming from the guy who paid $3 million for Mark McGwire's No. 70 in 1999, and half a mil for Bonds' No. 73 in 2001. So why has the bubble burst on Bonds sports memorabilia? Says Michael Heffner, president of the Lelands auction house:

"Collectors haven't written (Bonds) off, but he's not on the same level as Babe Ruth. Babe Ruth has already gone down in the history books as this lovable character. The perception of Barry Bonds is much different. The public views him as a bad guy who's not nice to his fans."

But what about McFarlane? Not only does he own McGwire 70 and Bonds 73, but he's got a bucketful of Sammy Sosa homers — including No. 66 — giving him the most steroid-soaked collection of sports memorabilia in baseball history. All he needs is some Gaylord Perry saliva to complete the set. Stock Dropping On Bonds' Balls [SportsNet] Lucky Catch? No Way [SF Gate]