Electronic bidding began Tuesday for Barry Bonds' 755th and 756th home-run balls, with the price for the record-breaker starting at $100,000.
Sotheby's/SCP Auctions is handling sales of the balls Bonds hit to tie and break Hank Aaron's home-run record. Bidding closes Sept. 15, when the winning offer is to be announced.
"These balls are some of the most historic baseballs to come up publicly for auction," said David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions.
The Mission Viejo-based auction house also handled the $102,000 sale of Bonds' 700th home run ball, and the $220,000 sale of his 715th, which put him ahead of Babe Ruth on the home run list.
Bonds broke Aaron's record of 755 with a shot into the right-field seats on Aug. 7 against the Washington Nationals in San Francisco.
Auction officials estimate the ball will fetch at least $500,000.
Matt Murphy, the 21-year-old New Yorker who emerged from a scuffle with the record-breaking ball, said he still hasn't decided what he'll do with the money but vows not to waste it.
"I'm not going to blow it on a Lamborghini, quit my job and have no money left in three weeks," said Murphy, who supervises contractors at a residential building in Manhattan and intends to return to school. "I'll plan out what I'm going to do with it and make the best investment possible."
Murphy, who paid $100 for a $12 ticket to the Aug. 7 game during a layover on his way to Australia, said no matter how much he gets for the ball he has no complaints.
"Either way, I'm in the plus," Murphy said. "I can't really be upset with anything."
CUBS ACTIVATE SORIANO: Alfonso Soriano returned to the Chicago Cubs' lineup Tuesday after suffering a small tear in his right quadriceps on Aug. 5, hoping to give the first-place team a boost in the final five weeks of the pennant race.
"I think the team needs me and I need the team, too," Soriano said after he was activated from the 15-day disabled list. "I want to play. We are up 1 1/2 games ahead and we want to win the division."
Soriano suffered a small tear in his right quadriceps as he was running the bases Aug. 5 against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. As he rounded second base, he pulled up lame and hobbled into third base where he was tagged out. He was put on the DL the next day.
METS HOPEFUL ON MARTINEZ: Pedro Martinez could rejoin the New York Mets' rotation in September after making at least one minor rehab start in the minor leagues.
Mets general manager Omar Minaya said before Tuesday's game against the Phillies he was hopeful that if all goes well, Martinez could start during the final two weeks of the regular season.
"We'll see how he feels," Minaya said.
Martinez allowed an unearned run and five hits in six innings Monday night for the St. Lucie Mets against the Palm Beach Cardinals in a Class-A Florida State League game. It was the fourth rehab start for Martinez, who is coming back from rotator cuff surgery.
ALSO: The Orioles cut ties with right-hander Paul Shuey on Tuesday, ending his comeback with Baltimore ... The Milwaukee Brewers put right-hander Claudio Vargas on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a strained lower back and were considering activating Ben Sheets. ... Catcher David Ross was activated by the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, 15 days after he went on the disabled list with a concussion ... The Toronto Blue Jays signed left-hander Joe Kennedy to a minor league contract on Tuesday with an eye toward adding the veteran to their bullpen in September.