Gonzalez ends gum controversy

PHOENIX -- Luis Gonzalez won't have to give DNA samples after all. No more gumshoe detective work is necessary.\nThe Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star has decided to end any controversy over the authenticity of a piece of already-been-chewed-by-Gonzo gum being sold at auction on the Internet.\nA no-longer-amused Gonzalez said he would chew a new piece of gum in front of witnesses Thursday morning in Denver.\n"This thing has kind of gotten out of control," Gonzalez said before the Diamondbacks' game at San Diego Wednesday night.\nGonzalez will send the new gum to a Tucson radio station that plans to broadcast the chewing. The station will send the gum to the top Internet bidder.\n"It's not like we're trying to find out who the father of a baby is or if I'm guilty of a crime or something," Gonzalez said. "It's just a piece of gum."\nThe collector of the original gum, Jason Gabbert, has said the money from the auction will go directly to a Minnesota high school.\nThe highest bid so far is $3,275 by Dave Pierce, a student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. That edged out the $3,200 bid by The Topps Co., which manufactured the gum Gonzalez allegedly chewed.\nA public chew by Gonzalez on KRQ's "Johnjay and Rich" show, where he often has appeared, should bring an end to a bizarre tale that features characters right out of a Bazooka bubble gum comic. They include Johnjay the DJ, Ponytail John the security guard, Tom Vigilante, the security company owner and, of course, Gonzo.\nThe gum's authenticity was called into question when Vigilante, who owns Vigilante Security Services of Phoenix, said he had an affidavit signed by Ponytail John denying that he had given Gabbert Gonzalez's gum at a spring training game in Tucson March 7.\nIn fact, Ponytail John said, he saw Gabbert pick up another piece of gum and say "this will do."\n"I've got 30 years in law enforcement. The reason why I got involved was to defend the integrity of the company," Vigilante said. "I did talk to the security officer. I've got a signed affidavit that's been notarized stating his side of the story. There's no reason to question his integrity."\nHowever, Vigilante declined to give Ponytail John's last name.\nGabbert, who owns Lakeside Sports, a memorabilia store, in Wood Lake, Minn., said the security guard is lying. The guard kicked the gum to him when he asked for it, Gabbert said.\n"He goes, `I'm not picking it up,'" Gabbert said on Wednesday. "He looked funny kicking it because he's a tall, gangly guy."\nGabbert said he believes the security company is just worried about losing its contract at Tucson Electric Park, spring training home of the Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox.\nGabbert's resume does not exactly bolster his credibility.\nHe was convicted of forgery in North Dakota in 1993 after he opened a bank account in the name of major league pitcher Aaron Sele. In 1997, while living in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, he was convicted of making counterfeit driver's licenses and possessing credit cards that were not in his name.\nDespite any mistakes he may have made in the past, Gabbert said he was not trying to scam anyone. He said he wants the check made out directly to Lakeside, Minn., High School.\nHe thought it would be amusing to auction the gum on his Web site. He never expected the bids to get so high.\n"What people don't get is this gum has no value as a collectable -- none," Gabbert said. "It has no more value than a half-eaten piece of pizza in Gonzo's garbage."\nGonzalez, a perpetual gum-chewer on the field, thinks twice now when he discards a used piece.\n"Every step I've taken, I get more fans yelling at me now about my gum than I do about my bat or wristband," he said.\nThe original Gonzo gum is being kept in Gabbert's store encased in plastic. It can be seen on his Web site nocontraction.com.