THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The ball Barry Bonds launched for his record-breaking 756th home run took a strange turn today on its possible path to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

First, the Hall announced it wouldn’t take the asterisk-stamped souvenir because talks with its owner broke down over whether the ball would be loaned or donated. Hours later, the man who paid $752,467 for the ball presented a different view.

"At this time, the ball is on route to the Hall of Fame," fashion designer Marc Ecko said in a statement. "I hope that they will accept it and honor their commitment to display it at some point in time."

Ecko spokeswoman Laurie Baker said the ball would be offered as a "permanent donation."

Tonight, Hall spokesman Brad Horn said, "Should the owner choose to unconditionally donate the ball, we would be delighted and, of course, accept the offer and would display it at some point in time."

Ecko bought the 756 ball in an online auction last September, a month after Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s career home run record.

Ecko then asked fans to vote in an Internet poll on what he should do with the ball. The winner: Brand it with an asterisk, to reflect the steroid allegations surrounding Bonds, and give it to the Hall.

The ball indeed was marked, with the asterisk dye-cut into the cowhide where "Major League Baseball" is printed.

Hall officials said the Hall held many internal discussions and consulted with several prominent museums last year before deciding it would accept the marked ball.

Bonds has said he would boycott the Hall if it displayed the ball with an asterisk.

Bonds had 762 home runs when he finished the 2007 season and possibly his professional baseball career. The San Francisco Giants did not offer him a contract for this year, and he has not had an offer to play for another team.