Fashion designer Mark Ecko won an auction to purchase Barry Bonds’ record setting 756th home run on Monday, and has established a website (www.vote756.com/markecko/) to determine the ball’s ultimate fate.

Two of the three options would send to the ball to the Hall of Fame, and the third option is to blast the ball into space.

Ecko paid more than three quarters of a million dollars for the ball, and said he was willing to destroy it as a protest against Bonds, who is widely suspected of steroid use during his career. The other options for fans are to simply send the ball to the Hall as is, or have an asterisk branded on the ball and then sent to the museum.

We agree with the Hall of Fame’s Brad Horn that destroying the ball would be a terrible waste. Some might be surprised that the museum wants artifacts from Bonds, who many feel cheated to achieve what is considered the most hallowed record in baseball.

``It’s our responsibility to tell the history of the game, and the fans can make their own determinations,’’ Horn said. ``The ball is a significant piece of baseball and American history, and it belongs in Cooperstown.’’

Horn said the Hall has no immediate plans to contact Ecko, so we can only hope Ecko keeps his word if the results of the voting are to send the ball to Cooperstown.

We agree, and urge our readers to help send the ball to Cooperstown. Voting ends at midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 25.