Alex Rodriguez plays money ball

How much will the ball Alex Rodriguez hits for his 600th home run be worth?

It is impossible to tell unless and until it goes to auction. But there is a recent precedent to serve as a guide: In February the one he hit for his 500th in 2007 was sold for $103,579 by SCP Auctions.

Dan Imler, SCP’s managing director, said his best guess for No. 600 is $150,000 to $200,000, but he said the dynamics of auctions can be unpredictable.

“In spite of the controversy that sometimes surrounds these players and the economy, people still love these significant milestone home run balls,’’ Imler said.

A-Rod’s 600th will not approach the $3 million paid for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball of the 1998 season or the $752,000 for Barry Bonds’ 756th career shot.

But Imler said the fact there figure to be more milestones to come for Rodriguez and the fact he is a Yankee both should serve to inflate the value of his home run balls.

“There is a speculative element that he could be the all-time home run king,’’ Imler said. “And he’s a Yankee. Yankee collectors are the cornerstone of the memorabilia market.’’

If SCP were to auction off No. 600, it naturally would welcome as many wealthy potential buyers as possible. Such as the one who plays third base for the Yankees.

Said Imler: “We would love to have him as a bidder.’’