Elmhurst man to sell historic ball

The improbable Elmhurst resident who caught Barry Bonds’ record-breaking 756th home run ball will not own the historic ball for much longer - but he will likely be a few dollars richer - actually many dollars richer.
Matt Murphy, 21, announced that he plans to put the baseball up for grabs to the highest bidder through Sotheby’s/SCP Auctions in an online format beginning on August 28 and continuing through September 15.
“Two weeks ago history was made,” Murphy said at a press conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, August 22 after he returned from a trip to Australia. “I was privileged to be there and was lucky enough to be the guy who caught the ball.”
Although the auction will not begin until August 28, experts are already predicting that collectors could pay as much as $500,000 to own a piece of history.
Murphy, who is an avid Mets fan and donned his Jose Reyes jersey at San Francisco’s AT&T Park when he caught the ball on August 7, told reporters that he felt compelled to sell the ball because of the taxes he would have had to pay on the ball. However, he expressed hope that the person who purchases the piece of history will at least loan it to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY so others can view it.
During the press conference, Murphy reiterated that his intentions are to share some of the money generated by the sale of the ball with his friend, Amir Kamal, who attended the game with Murphy and helped escort him with security through the crowds of swarming fans hoping to capture the ball.
Murphy, who attended the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, did not really speculate on his plans for his newfound riches, but said that he might look into attending business school in New York City.