SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds' 715th home run ball fetched a winning auction bid of $220,100 on Thursday, much better than experts predicted for the shot that put the troubled Giants slugger second on the all-time home run list.
A spokesman for Internet auction site eBay said the winning bidder was from California, but the identity wasn't immediately revealed.
The ball was sold by Andrew Morbitzer, who was waiting in line for beer and peanuts May 28 when Bonds hit the home run that moved him past Babe Ruth in the record books.
"For standing in line waiting for a beer and something to eat -- you can't be unhappy with an amount like that," Morbitzer said.
For several moments, the ball appeared to be beyond anyone's reach. It sat lodged on an elevated platform in center field, then trickled off the roof. Morbitzer caught the ball with one hand.
The 38-year-old marketing director said he may use the proceeds from the ball to place a downpayment on a home in San Francisco. He also said he planned to donate 10 percent of the proceeds to the charity Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America.
Experts predicted that the ball would fetch around $100,000 at auction, far less than the $500,000 some experts say it could have commanded absent the controversy surrounding Bonds and his alleged involvement with steroids.
There were 69 bids on the ball.
A spokesman for Internet auction site eBay said the winning bidder was from California, but the identity wasn't immediately revealed.
The ball was sold by Andrew Morbitzer, who was waiting in line for beer and peanuts May 28 when Bonds hit the home run that moved him past Babe Ruth in the record books.
"For standing in line waiting for a beer and something to eat -- you can't be unhappy with an amount like that," Morbitzer said.
For several moments, the ball appeared to be beyond anyone's reach. It sat lodged on an elevated platform in center field, then trickled off the roof. Morbitzer caught the ball with one hand.
The 38-year-old marketing director said he may use the proceeds from the ball to place a downpayment on a home in San Francisco. He also said he planned to donate 10 percent of the proceeds to the charity Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America.
Experts predicted that the ball would fetch around $100,000 at auction, far less than the $500,000 some experts say it could have commanded absent the controversy surrounding Bonds and his alleged involvement with steroids.
There were 69 bids on the ball.
