Bonds' marketability is taking a hit.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Chris Haft

SAN JOSE, Calif. _ Entering this season with 703 home runs, Barry Bonds should soon pass Babe Ruth, whose 714 rank second on the career list, and pursue Hank Aaron's record of 755. Whether Bonds ascends to the throne of the endorsement world is another matter entirely.

Image is everything, and Bonds' image has taken a beating throughout the Balco investigation. Particularly damaging was the grand-jury testimony _ leaked to the public Dec. 2 _ in which Bonds said he used, albeit unwittingly, the two designer steroids at the heart of the scandal.

``I think he's a big question mark right now,'' said Brandon Steiner, CEO of Steiner Sports Marketing in New York. ``People don't know what to do to respond _ and when they don't know, usually they do nothing until things are real clear.''

MasterCard, one of Major League Baseball's top sponsors, was approached by baseball officials late last year with the idea of using Bonds to promote the 2005 season. But prospects evaporated as the Balco controversy escalated. ``We didn't express interest in participating. That's pretty much where it stands right now,'' MasterCard spokesman Chris Monteiro said last week.

By at least one other measure, Bonds' marketability has fallen short of what would be expected from a man on the verge of making big history. Sales of his No. 25 jersey over the past two years are barely 25,000, according to SportsScanINFO, a firm that records sales from retailers nationwide.

``That puts him nowhere'' on a list of sales rankings, said Neil Schwartz, SportsScanINFO's director of marketing and business development.