Barry Bonds’ ball brings big bucks.

Matt Murphy has a new apartment, stock investments and plans to go into the sneaker biz, all thanks to a $752,000 net from the sale of Barry Bonds’ home run ball. Murphy, 22, was at the San Francisco Giants game last summer when Bonds hit homer No. 756 to break legend Hank Aaron’s long-standing career record. Along with his other plans, Murphy and two friends are opening a Manhattan restaurant this week. Meanwhile, Bonds, who showed up this past weekend at the Giants’ anniversary ceremony, says he’s not retired, despite having no contract to play this season.

Braylon Edwards receives foot stitches. A star Cleveland Browns receiver is recovering from a weird pre-season injury following a race in which he wore only socks. Braylon Edwards was sprinting recently against teammate Donté Stallworth, who opened the back of Edwards’ foot with his cleats, creating a gash that required stitches. No explanation was given for why Edwards didn’t wear shoes during the race. But the injury happened after Saturday’s practice, so Edwards may have been jokingly showboating. The injury isn’t thought to be serious, but the receiver spent a night in the hospital as a precaution.

Home run king’s agent is ready to throw in the towel for ’08.
Days after saying no baseball club was interested in contracting Barry Bonds for even the minimum salary, his agent, Jeff Borris, essentially has given up. Borris says he’s offered the man who passed Hank Aaron’s long-standing career home run record last year to “numerous” teams with no success. “I offered Barry at the minimum salary ($390,000), and when I ran into a brick wall, that’s when I came to the conclusion that he will not be in a Major League uniform in 2008.” Bonds finished last season with 762 homers, but suffered an all-time low in fan popularity due to increased speculation about his alleged steroid use. He’s been indicted in connection with perjury for testimony he gave about past doping. “I’m not a negative person. I’m one of those ‘never say never’ guys,” Borris says. “But it seems pretty clear to me that it’s just not happening. We could go up and down the rosters of every single team, and I could show you an awful lot of spots where he ought to be plugged in right now, but it’s just not happening.”

Ex-Cincinnati wide receiver’s remaining assault charge has been dropped
Prosecutors have dropped a second assault charge against suspended NFL player Chris Henry, who was accused of punching a University of Cincinnati student and breaking his car window. The former Bengals wide receiver’s first trial ended this month when a jury couldn’t reach a verdict, while a misdemeanor was dismissed. Henry was cut by the Bengals in April after his fifth arrest since joining the team three years ago. He recently tested positive for marijuana and is due to serve a year suspension.

Serena Williams is top seed at West Classic
Having pulled out of three previously planned appearances, Serena Williams is competing in this week’s Bank of the West Classic in California. Williams, who recently lost the Wimbledon championship to her sister Venus, is ranked fifth in the world. She’s one of two top 10 players to compete in the Stanford tournament scheduled through Friday. Serena’s expected to play tomorrow or Thursday after a first-round bye.

It’s not easy being king: Homerun leader can’t find a professional home.
Embattled slugger Barry Bonds may have enjoyed the final season of his career when he shattered Hank Aaron’s career home run record last summer: His agent says prospects for Bonds getting a new contract look bleak. Jeff Borris, who negotiated a $19.2 million salary for Bonds’ 2007 season in San Francisco, hasn’t been able to work the magic again. “No club has offered even the minimum salary,” Borris says. Bonds broke Aaron’s record amid widespread speculation that he hit many homers fueled by performance-enhancing drugs. Borris says Bonds can be ready to play for a new team within 10 days, but he faces indictments on perjury and obstruction of justice charges connected with court testimony he gave about past steroid use. Get more  on this story at Playa Hater.

Souvenir from record hit reaches Cooperstown branded with asterisk.
Barry Bonds’ best baseball’s been branded. But it still made its way into the Cooperstown, N.Y. Hall of Fame after much controversy. Following urban entrepreneur Marc Ecko’s $752,467 purchase of the souvenir from Bonds’ Major League record-breaking 756th home run in a Web auction, Ecko let the public vote to brand the ball with an asterisk, symbolizing Bonds’ widely suspected steroid use. After a back-and-forth this week between the Hall and Ecko, who Bonds called an “idiot,” over whether the ball would be a loan or gift, the Hall’s spokesman Brad Horn announces: “We are very happy to receive the baseball as a donation, and not as a loan. We look forward to adding this ball to our permanent collections.” Bonds has threatened to boycott the Hall of Fame. He was indicted on perjury charges for allegedly lying to a grand jury, in connection with his alleged use of steroids.

A silly game lands a mother in jail
The mother of a 10-year-old boy and a teenage girl has been arrested after allegedly driving a car on which the two youths were “car-surfing” before being thrown off and seriously injured. The names of the victims were not released because of their age. Police say that the boy, who is in critical condition at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, is suffering from serious head trauma; the teen was treated and is now in good condition, police said. “It seems ludicrous that anybody would do that,” said Sgt. Marcus Booth of the San Antonio Police Department. “There’s plenty of room in the car, so we don’t know why she did it. It really looks like poor judgment.” The mother was allegedly driving the car while the youngsters stood on the hood. When she hit the brakes, the kids went flying and rolled into the street, police said. Police say they do not know exactly how fast the woman was driving and noted that she did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol.