Barry Bonds’ record-breaking home run ball is headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame with an asterisk after fans voted in an online poll set up by the ball’s owner last week.

The other two options were to send Bonds’ historic 756th home run ball to the museum as is, or blast the ball into space as a way of protesting Bonds achievement, which many believe was aided by the use of steroids.

Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s record of 755 home runs this summer.

Hall of Fame spokesperson Brad Horn said the museum was happy with the results of the voting.

``Our role is to present the story in its context,’’ Horn said Wednesday afternoon. ``This vote represents the voice of the fans at this moment in time. The asterisk won’t change the ball’s historic significance.’’

Ecko told the Associated Press Wednesday he believed the vote to brand the ball showed people thought "this was shrouded in a chapter of baseball history that wasn’t necessarily the clearest it could be."

Ecko paid more than $750,000 for the ball, and said last week he voted to brand the ball with an asterisk before sending it to the Hall.

Horn said although Hall officials and Ecko have had conversations, no timetable has been set up for the delivery of the ball or when it would go on display.

According to Horn, 47 percent of fans cast votes for the asterisk, 34 percent to send the ball to the museum as is, and 19 percent to blast the ball into space.

Horn said last week that it would be a terrible waste to destroy the ball.

``We are very grateful to Marc for his donation,’’ Horn said. ``The ball represents an historic moment in time and it belongs in Cooperstown.’’

Matt Murphy, a 21-year-old student and construction supervisor from New York, emerged from a scuffle holding the home run ball. He said he decided to sell it because he couldn’t afford to pay the taxes required to keep it.

Ecko told the Associated Press he bought the ball and arranged to let the public decide its future online as a way to hold a conversation about a classic American sport in the digital world.

"This ball wouldn’t be coming to Cooperstown if Marc hadn’t bought it from the fan who caught it and then let the fans have their say," Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey told The Associated Press Wednesday after appearing on the Today Show earlier that morning. "We’re delighted to have the ball. It’s a historic piece of baseball history."