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Buzzmaster

  (11:59 AM)

Matt Murphy will be here in a second!

Buzzmaster

  (12:00 PM)

Matt's here!

Zachary (Pittsburgh, PA)

Congrats Matt!

Zachary Pittsburgh, PA

What was your thought process after getting Bond's 756th homerun ball and being escorted by the police?

Matt Murphy

  (12:01 PM)

It was unreal. I was happy to be there and happy to catch it. I didn't know this was going to happen to me. Right place at the right time.

John (Milford, CT)

Murph,Ever make it to Australia?

Matt Murphy

  (12:01 PM)

Yeah, I did. It was a great, beautiful country. I had a great time.

Brett from Wrentham, MA

Your friend Amir is in dead last in my fantasy baseball league. How do you rationalize splitting the profits from the ball with him?

Matt Murphy

  (12:02 PM)

I never said Amir was the best fantasy baseball manager, but he can pull some blocking at a baseball game.

Brian (NYC)

Did you take the ball to Australia with you?

Matt Murphy

  (12:03 PM)

No, I left it in a safe deposit box in the United States.

Dimitri, Encinitas, CA

Hi Matt, I´m so glad that you did this. But what are your opnions on Barry Bonds himself, the player excluding the million dollars or so he gave you?

Matt Murphy

  (12:04 PM)

I think Barry's a tremendous player. You don't just wake up one morning and hit 760 home runs. You have to be a tremendous athlete to come close to that.

Nick (Boston)

Matt - really though, how bad was it at the bottom of that pile?

Matt Murphy

  (12:04 PM)

It was pretty chaotic, but in the end, it was worth it.

John (TB, FL)

Give you $10 and an autographed Carl Crawford baseball for it

Matt Murphy

  (12:05 PM)

Deal. ''This is not legally bonding in any way.''

Jay(Queens)

Congrats Matt. One question, are u going to buy season tickets for the Mets? How about you take me with you?

Matt Murphy

  (12:05 PM)

I would love to have the Mets give me season tickets. Wink, wink. But if they don't, I'll consider buying them.

Lucas(Milwaukee)

How much are you hoping the ball goes for? Have you consulted memorabilia experts and if so how much do they feel the ball will go for?

Matt Murphy

  (12:06 PM)

I have spoken with memorabilia experts. I've been hearing a bunch of different numbers. It's too far away from the auction to think about a number at this point, but time will tell.

Tom (MI)

You gunna give the security guards a small cut for saving your life? Congrats on getting the ball though, you earned it.

Matt Murphy

  (12:07 PM)

The security guards and police department definitely helped me a lot. I'd love to meet them and take them to dinner. Give them a shoutout for the great job they've been doing.

Hende (OH)

Are you paranoid at all that something will happen to the ball before you sell it? I'd be sleeping in front of the deposit box.

Matt Murphy

  (12:07 PM)

I definitely was, before it was in the bank. But now that it's safe, I have no concerns that the right people will handle it correctly.

Nick (Boston)

Matt - how bad was it at the bottom of that pile? How tough was it to hold onto the ball?

Matt Murphy

  (12:08 PM)

I'd say the harder part was getting to it. But with all those people on top of me, the ball was pinned up close.

Matty (NY)

Matt, this is what I would've done. Instead of auctioning it off, collect money from people who want to see the ball blown up, and then do it (ala the Bartman Ball). Congrats though, and I hope you net some nice bank from it.

Matt Murphy

  (12:10 PM)

That's a funny idea, but I can't really do that to history.

JJ (NYC)

Matt where were you taken to after you were escorted by the police?

Matt Murphy

  (12:11 PM)

I was taken to the grounds crew area then I was taken to my original hotel by an unmarked police car and taken to another hotel and stayed under the name Arnold Palmer.

Matty P (Suwanee, GA)

When, as a Braves fan, can I expect the Mets to start tanking so the Bravos can restate their claim atop the NL East?

Matt Murphy

  (12:11 PM)

You can hope and you can wish, but we're not going to give it up.

John (Atlanta)

Any injuries caused by the dogpile?

Matt Murphy

  (12:12 PM)

A couple of cuts and bruises, but it was worth it in the end.

Kev (NYC)

Do you want to remain in the public spotlight? Or just sell the ball and return to normalcy as soon as possible?

Matt Murphy

  (12:13 PM)

It's been great. Normalcy's great too. Being in the public spotlight is fun and all, but it would be great to get back to a regular life, eventually.

Johnny (Bronx, NY)

Who's your favorite Met player?

Matt Murphy

  (12:13 PM)

I don't want to disappoint, but it is now and always will be Keith Hernandez.

Bill (Toronto)

Matt, do you not feel you should give the ball to Barry? I mean this was his accomplishment, not yours...

Matt Murphy

  (12:14 PM)

It was in the back of my mind, that I could give it back as one of my options. But Barry released his statement, saying it belongs to the person that caught it.

Joey (NYC)

Have you met any Baseball Players or anyone famous since your big day?

Matt Murphy

  (12:15 PM)

Yes. I met a bunch of the Giants. A couple of Mets. I was hanging out in a movie set in Australia, so a handful of people down there.

Ben (Wash, DC)

Did tax issues at all influence your decision to auction it?

Matt Murphy

  (12:16 PM)

It was in my mind. The reality of it is, I don't have the finances, even if I wanted to keep it to finance the upkeep of such a tremendous piece of baseball memorabilia.

John (Atlanta)

What are you doing with the proceeds?

Matt Murphy

  (12:17 PM)

Well, 49% is going to my friend and whatever's left, I'm going to do the right thing with it and set myself up for the future.

Sean (Philly)

Did you recieve any offers before you decided to put it up for auction?

Matt Murphy

  (12:18 PM)

There were more than several offers being thrown at me at the time where I was originally thinking about keeping it. They were being thrown around verbally and I didn't get much in writting.

John (Atlanta)

I think you should capitalize on this as much as possible and write a book, then maybe work on the TV miniseries. Maybe Matt Murphy-O's the cereal?

Matt Murphy

  (12:19 PM)

That's a great idea. I'm going to have my people talk to your people.

Scott (Albany NY)

Any estranged family members been ringing your phone off the hook since you caught the ball?

Matt Murphy

  (12:19 PM)

More than enough. I come from a large family and more than enough have been calling in.

David (Toronto)

Who was the first person who you called after you got the ball?

Matt Murphy

  (12:20 PM)

I didn't have any cell phone service, but it was a couple of people I worked with, freaking out asking if I was in San Francisco.

steve (ny)

has anyone ask for your autograph?

Matt Murphy

  (12:20 PM)

One autograph. I've been asked for one. It was an 11 year old kid and it was in San Francisco and he was a Mets fan. Signing a kids autograph changed my perspective on everything.

Liz (Big Apple)

Old Girlfriends Drunk Dialing you?

Matt Murphy

  (12:21 PM)

I had that problem before I caught this ball, now it's worse than ever.

Jake (WI)

What comments did you get walking out with a Mets jersey on?

Matt Murphy

  (12:22 PM)

The comments that the San Francisco fan base gave me walking in were a lot worse than when I was walking out.

Jeremy (Memphis)

Did you and your friend make a deal before the game to split if either one of you caught the ball?

Matt Murphy

  (12:23 PM)

We did. We discussed it two days before and then right before the game when we decided on 51-49.

Pete (NY)

I bet your friend got worse Comments with the Yankees Jersey?

Matt Murphy

  (12:23 PM)

We were both getting it pretty bad, but he was getting it worse because his team wasn't in first place.

steve (ny)

are you a fan of any other sports or just baseball?

Matt Murphy

  (12:24 PM)

Baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and rugby.

Brad (Gadsden,Alabama)

Matt, Braves make playoffs true or false

Matt Murphy

  (12:24 PM)

That's a false.

Anthony (New York)

Can you share some of the comments the mlb players you met told you?

Matt Murphy

  (12:26 PM)

You don't realize how much it takes to be a ballplayer until you talk to one. It takes a lot to play at that level.

Matt Murphy

  (12:26 PM)

I appreciate all the questions. I hope to hear more in the future. Best wishes.

Buzzmaster

  (12:26 PM)

Thanks Matt!

Buzzmaster

  (12:27 PM)

Next up is David Kohler, president and CEO of SCP Auctions, who will auction off the ball.

Buzzmaster

  (12:27 PM)

They also auction off other memorabilia. Check them out at SCPAuctions.com and send in your questions NOW!

Buzzmaster

  (12:30 PM)

David is here!

Zachary (Pittsburgh, PA)

What was your reaction when you found out that your auction company had the honor to sell homerun ball number 756.

David Kohler

  (12:31 PM)

Very very excited. It's a coup for us. We love handling this very valuable pieces of sports memorabilia. We've been doing this since 1979.

Nathan (Canada)

Do you ever feel any guilt in auctioning off pieces of history for monetary gain?

David Kohler

  (12:32 PM)

No, we don't. It's what we do. We have a lot of fun with it. We do the cataloging and websites. We feel very privileged to handle some of these heirlooms.

Anthony (Cleveland)

How pieces of sports have you auctioned off?

David Kohler

  (12:33 PM)

10s of thousands. The auctions we have coming up on Aug. 28 live, we have 1,300 pieces going up that's open to the public.

Gary (Phoenix)

What makes you think your company is the best suited to auctioning this ball?

David Kohler

  (12:35 PM)

My company SCP Auctions, we partner with Southeby's. We've auctioned three of the four pieces that have sold for over $1 million. We deal with advanced collectors and it's worldwide.

Ben (Pennsylvania)

how much do you think bonds 756th home run will sell for?

David Kohler

  (12:35 PM)

The 756 we've been quoted in the press, we think that's a $500,000, conservatively. It's an auction, so anything can happen. We also have the 755 ball which we think is worth around a couple hundred thousand, plus.

Larry (Irvine, CA)

Don't you worry that the value of the ball is going down as we speak? As Barry continues to hit more home runs, doesn't the value of Matt's ball diminish. Once Barry retires, the last home run will be worth even more than this ball...

David Kohler

  (12:36 PM)

Yes, we agree. The last home run ball is worth seven figures. That will the record. But 756 is the record breaking ball. A lot of notoriety around that with the public. All you have to say is 756 and they know what you're talking about.

Ben (Pennsylvania)

whats your personal favorite thing to auction off?

David Kohler

  (12:38 PM)

We love all the very high end items and rare pieces. Whether it's a Barry Bonds baseball or it's a Babe Ruth bat or a game worn jersey from Joe DiMaggio. Recently, we've handled estates for families of players. We sold the most valuable card ever - the Honus Wagner card for $2.35 million.

Kyle (Kansas)

How impressive was the Wagner card?

David Kohler

  (12:39 PM)

It's the finest one. There's about 50 or 60 known cards. It's a PSA 8. It's two or three times better than the next best one.

Dave (Potomac, MD)

How much would a home run 800 ball go for (whether its bonds or a-rod)?

David Kohler

  (12:40 PM)

I would say my gut reaction is a few hundred thousand. I base that on we sold the 700th ball for Bonds and it went for $102,000.

Daniel (Los Angeles)

How many bids does an item of this magnitude receive?

David Kohler

  (12:41 PM)

It's hard to say. That's a good question. In an auction, you never know. Sometimes you have someone who bids high off the bat and you don't get many after that. The auction is its own animal. You put the item up and do the marketing. You don't know how many buyers will participate. You never know.

Alan (Indianapolis)

Have you ever had a player or team buy back a item that represents a record for them in order to display it at their home/stadium?

David Kohler

  (12:43 PM)

No we have never had that happen. Although, wouldn't it be neat if Barry Bonds anonimously bought his 755 and 756 baseballs and announced later that he's donating them to the baseball hall of fame.

Freddy (Anaheim, CA)

Do you think the value of the 756 will actually diminish if A-Rod breaks the record, or once Barry retires and the new record ball sells for 7 figures (as you mentioned before)? Isn't that what happened with the McGuire balls?

David Kohler

  (12:45 PM)

If A-Rod did break the record, the 756 or these significant Bonds balls would diminish in value. But there are many of what-ifs. There are injuries. The amount of money these big time stars make the incentives aren't there. There's a lot of uncertainty.

Dave (Potomac, MD)

Do athletes ever bid on their own items?

David Kohler

  (12:46 PM)

We've never had athletes bid on their own items, but we've had athletes and celebrities who collect bid on our memorabilia.

Frank (Colorado)

Best auction you can remember?

David Kohler

  (12:47 PM)

In 2004, we had an auction that included the bat that Babe Ruth hit the first home run in the opening of Yankee Stadium. His game used bat went for $1.265 million.

Dave (Potomac, MD)

Will the A-Rod factor play into how much these Bonds balls sell for?

David Kohler

  (12:48 PM)

Yes, I think that will be factored into somebody that might bid and go after these 755 and 756 baseballs. But a lot of that is factored into our estimates already. We had a $3 million McGwire ball. We might be surprised to what these balls sell for on Sept. 15.

Ben (NYC)

Matt said in an interview that he had to sell the ball do to taxes. Can you explain how there are taxes on something you acquire 'accidentally' with little intrinsic value?

David Kohler

  (12:50 PM)

Basically, we have heard that there would be no taxes on this until he sold it. The press went on a tangent on the tax issues. The real deal is Matt Murphy is 21 and going to college. He can't afford to not put this on the market and sell it. That's the real reason, not tax issues.

Scott (Albany NY)

How much authentification is required on older items before you include it in an auction?

David Kohler

  (12:51 PM)

Great question. It's paramount. Every vintage item - bat, jersey, autographed ball. We know the stuff very well, but we still use third parties to authenticate before it's brought to an auction block. There's a whole process to make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed before we put it up for sale.

Larry (Omaha)

Does it bother you that card companies buy old bats and jerseys and slice them up to put in baseball cards?

David Kohler

  (12:52 PM)

Yes, to slice up a game used Babe Ruth bat, when there's maybe 100 or so known to exist, it's hard to swallow. Obviously, it's a marketing tool that card companies have used to sell their baseball card packs.

Scott (Fort Wayne, IN)

will you be marking the ball with a *? It's the only way it would be authentic.

David Kohler

  (12:53 PM)

No, we're not marking it with an *. We'll come up with a nice brochure on it. It will be up on our site Aug. 28 and ends Sept. 15.

Tom (MI)

Over/Under $400,000 for the ball?

David Kohler

  (12:53 PM)

Well, we've been on record as saying a conservative $500,000 for the ball. So over.

David Kohler

  (12:55 PM)

Please go to our website at www.SCPAuctions.com. You can see the whole catalog of the 1,300 items that are open to the public, worldwide. From Aug. 28 to Sept. 15. Anybody can register for our auction, go to our site or call 949-831-3700.