Zack Hample

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Zack Hample
Zack Hample posing with a pyramid of baseballs (cropped).jpg
Hample in 2008
Born
Zachary Ben Hample

(1977-09-14) September 14, 1977 (age 46)[1]
New York City, New York
Alma materColumbia Grammar & Preparatory School
Guilford College
Years active1990–present
Known forCollecting baseballs
RelativesStoo Hample (father)
Websitezackhample.com

Zachary Ben Hample (born September 14, 1977)[2] is an American baseball collector.[3] Hample claims to have collected more than 12,000 baseballs from Major League stadiums, including Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th career hit and Mike Trout's first career home run.

Hample has faced criticism from sportswriters, players, and fans for his aggressive pursuit of baseballs.[4][5]

Baseball collection history

The first baseball that Hample caught at a game was at Shea Stadium in 1990.[6] Hample has described his interest in catching foul balls as "a passion."[6] He has said his obsession for catching balls developed "when I got my first ball, it’s like it multiplied from there. I wanted it so bad, not just one, I wanted another, and another and another."[6]

In 2008, Hample caught the last homerun hit at Shea Stadium. On April 18, 2013, Hample caught two home run balls in a single game at Yankee Stadium, including the first career homer of shortstop Didi Gregorius.[7][8][9] Hample claims to have developed a number of relationships with current and former professional baseball players including Richard Bleier, Heath Bell, and Jeremy Guthrie.[6]

Hample has written three books How to Snag Major League Baseballs (1999), Watching Baseball Smarter (2007) and The Baseball (2011).[6]

Hample's baseball collecting habit has been controversial inside and outside the game of baseball.[10][11] Hample's aggressive tactics have resulted in sportswriters describing him as "baseball's most hated fan",[12] an "ego-maniacal weasel",[13] a "jackass",[13] and a "baby-punching souvenir-monger".[14] Clayton Kershaw once refused to give Hample a ball; Hample tweeted that when he asked Kershaw for the ball, Kershaw told him no because Hample already had "7,000 of 'em."[12]

Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th hit

Hample holding up a ball he caught during the 2021 Home Run Derby

In June 2015, Hample caught Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th career hit, which was a home run. Initially, Hample refused to give the ball back saying "I'll give him the finger and a dummy ball. That man deserves favors from no one, least of all a fan."[15] However, he eventually agreed to give the ball to Rodriguez as part of an agreement with the Yankees where the organization donated $150,000 to Pitch In For Baseball.[16] Hample also personally received an autographed jersey, two autographed bats, a VIP backstage tour of the stadium and tickets to the 2015 MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby as part of his deal.[17]

Fort Bragg game

Hample acquired a ticket to the Fort Bragg Game on July 3, 2016, at Fort Bragg Stadium that was meant for active duty military personnel and their friends and families.[18] Hample had publicly offered $1,000 to anyone who would give him a ticket. After he came under widespread criticism for taking the ticket, Hample quickly announced that he would donate $100 for every ball he collected to a charity for military veterans.[19] Hample claimed to have caught 11 balls and claimed he would donate $1,100 to AMVETS.[20] He posted a lengthy apology on Twitter, which CBS Sports writer Mike Axisa stated "boils down to 'I'm sorry but I really wanted to go.'"[21][20]

Coors Field altercation

In August 2022, Hample attempted to enter a prohibited section at Coors Field, which has a rule stating that fans must have a specific ticket to enter, to catch a Nolan Arenado home run ball. After Hample refused to comply, a group of security guards approached him and told him he must remain seated while at the game or he would be ejected from the game.[22] Hample agreed to stay in his seat for the remainder of the game, but stated "You guys don’t know how to treat people. It’s not good . . . You guys get an F on the fan experience." One of the Rockies ushers stated that before the start of the game, a coach threw a ball up to a young fan who dropped it. The usher went on to state that Hample grabbed the ball, walked away and when the usher asked Hample why he did not give the ball back to the kid, he said, "because it's my ball. He dropped it, so it's my ball."[23] In response to the incident, Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman chimed in and criticized Hample saying: "It’s truly comical how much of a loser you are. Grown ass man taking baseballs away from the youth and making videos complaining about security doing their jobs."[24] The Portland Pickles, a minor league baseball team, announced that they had banned Hample from attending games at Walker Stadium following the incident.[25] Hample later removed a video from his channel which documented his side of the incident and stated "I apologize for sending things in a negative direction . . . I want to keep things positive. It’s not a good look for anybody".[26]

Other activities

Helicopter stunts

On July 2, 2012, Hample attempted to catch a baseball dropped from a helicopter 1,000 feet above LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Massachusetts.[27] Wearing catcher's gear that was donated by Rawlings, Hample caught a softball dropped from a height of 312 feet. He then caught baseballs dropped from heights of 562 feet and 822 feet before the Federal Aviation Administration called off the stunt due to strong winds.[28][29] The 822-foot catch was initially thought to be 762 feet, but a discrepancy in the altimeter settings, which was captured on video and discovered months later, added 60 feet to the altitude. On July 13, 2013, Hample made another attempt at LeLacheur Park and succeeded in catching a baseball dropped from an altitude of 1,050 feet.[30][31][32]

The catch is not recognized as a record by Guinness World Records, as no one from the organization was in attendance to verify the attempt.[33]

Video games

Hample, a competitive video game player, appeared briefly in the 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. According to Twin Galaxies, he holds official world records on half a dozen classic video games including Breakout (896 points) and Arkanoid (1,658,110 points).[34][35][36][37]

Fundraising

According to Pitch in for Baseball and Softball, a non-profit charity that provides baseball and softball equipment to underprivileged children, Hample has raised "tens of thousands" of dollars for the organization.[38] He raises the money with help from his fans, who pledge money for every baseball that he snags at Major League stadiums, and from BIGS Sunflower Seeds, who sponsored him during the 2013 season.[39]

Personal life

Hample lives in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He is the son of author, performer, playwright and cartoonist Stoo Hample.[40] Hample is Jewish and his brother, Joe, is a rabbi.[41]

Hample's family owns and operates Argosy Book Store, and was the focus of the 2019 documentary The Booksellers.[42][43]

References

  1. ^ "Record-setting baseball collector Zack Hample visits the Cell". Chicago Tribune.
  2. ^ "Record-setting baseball collector Zack Hample visits the Cell". Chicago Tribune.
  3. ^ "Is Zack Hample Cool? Or is he a Weirdo?". Crossing Broad. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  4. ^ Hickey, Brian (19 September 2010). "Did Ballhound Zack Hample Muscle Out a Kid For a Souvenir?". Deadspin. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  5. ^ Lozo, Dave (4 July 2016). "Everyone, Including The U.S. Military, Is Angry With MLB's Most Famous Ball Collector". Uproxx. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e "AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MAN WHO CAUGHT A-ROD'S 3000TH HIT, ZACK HAMPLE". Fox Sports. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  7. ^ Zack Hample Catches 2 Home Runs During Yankees-Diamondbacks Game (AP/Huffington Post)
  8. ^ "Good Day for Gregorius, Better Day for Fan". Fox Sports Arizona. April 19, 2013.
  9. ^ Brennan, Sean; O'Leary, Daniel (April 19, 2013). "Famous baseball collector Zack Hample catches home runs by Didi Gregorius and Francisco Cervelli at Thursday night's Yankees game". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  10. ^ Petchesky, Barry (June 30, 2016). "Ballhawk Zack Hample Throws Fit Because Someone Else Wanted A Baseball". Deadspin.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  11. ^ Petchesky, Barry (July 1, 2016). "Against Ballhawking". Deadspin.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Terranova, Justin (20 June 2017). "Why this ballhawk is baseball's most hated fan". New York Post. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Adair, Jim (31 August 2016). "Zack Hample Rubbed His Ego-Maniacal Weasel Stink All Over CBP". Crossing Broad. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  14. ^ Ley, Tom (20 September 2012). "Ballhawk Zack Hample Was Kicked Out Of Nationals Park Last Night, And He Is Pissed About It". Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Zack Hample backtracks, says chance Yankees and Alex Rodriguez get 3,000th hit baseball". The New York Daily News. June 24, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  16. ^ Raynor, Grace (July 3, 2015). "Fan presents 3,000th hit ball to A-Rod". mlb.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  17. ^ "A-Rod, Yanks settle dispute, he gets ball from 3,000th hit". USA Today. Associated Press. July 3, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  18. ^ Rovell, Darren (July 3, 2016). "Ball hawk's presence at Fort Bragg causes stir". espn.go.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  19. ^ Axisa, Mike (July 4, 2016). "Noted ballhawk donating $100 to charity for each ball caught at Fort Bragg game". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  20. ^ a b Axisa, Mike (July 4, 2016). "There's a petition to ban notorious ballhawk Zack Hample from MLB ballparks". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  21. ^ Rodger Mullen Staff. "Baseball collector apologizes for attending Fort Bragg Game". Fayobserver.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  22. ^ Schwartz, Jared (26 August 2022). "Hated MLB collector Zack Hample whines after having to follow stadium rules". The New York Post. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Rockies Usher Claims Zack Hample Stole a Ball Intended For a Kid". The Big Lead. 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  24. ^ Rosvoglou, Chris (27 August 2022). "Look: Meet The MLB Fan Everyone's Hating On This Week". The Spun. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  25. ^ Kinkead, Kevin (31 August 2022). "The Portland Pickles BANNED Zack Hample from their Stadium". Crossing Broad. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  26. ^ Sanchez, Robert (31 August 2022). "YouTuber (Kinda, Sorta) Apologizes for Video Takedown of Coors Field Security". 5280.com. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  27. ^ Scoggins, Chaz (July 8, 2012). "This baseball stunt goes way back". The Sun. Lowell, Mass. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  28. ^ Hample tries to catch history in Lowell, Minorleaguebaseball.com
  29. ^ "The flight of the ballhawk - Sports - the Boston Globe". articles.boston.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  30. ^ Le Marie, Nicole (July 14, 2013). "Zack Hample catches baseball dropped from 1,000 feet". Metro. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  31. ^ Johnson, Blair (July 16, 2013). "Zack Hample's helicopter drop catch". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  32. ^ "Guilford College graduate Zack Hample catches baseball dropped from 1,050 feet". Charlotte News & Observer.
  33. ^ Jolivet, Lindsay (15 July 2013). "Baseball collector breaks world record after catching ball thrown from helicopter". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  34. ^ "Interview with Zack Hample at Funspot". Twin Galaxies. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  35. ^ "*True* arcade gaming world records page". Classicarcadegaming.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  36. ^ "Arkanoid arcade video game by Taito (1986)". Arcade-history.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  37. ^ "Scores of Zachary Hample". www.twingalaxies.com. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  38. ^ "Zack Hample". Pitch In For Baseball. 30 November 2017.
  39. ^ BIGS® Sunflower Seeds and the Greatest Ballhawk of All-time Go For an Amazing Baseball Record to Benefit Charity, Yahoo! Finance
  40. ^ Weber, Bruce (24 September 2010). "Stuart E. Hample, Humorist and Cartoonist, Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  41. ^ "Life's a ball for savvy collector". New Jersey Jewish News. August 23, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  42. ^ "Review: 'The Booksellers': If you love books, you'll adore this documentary". Los Angeles Times. April 16, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  43. ^ "Our Team". Argosy Book Store. Retrieved July 4, 2021.

External links

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