Zack Hample

Zachary Ben Hample is an American baseball collector. He claims that he has collected more than 11,000 baseballs from major league stadiums in North America, including Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th career hit and Mike Trout's first career home run.

Zack Hample
by Brandon Sloter, 2008
Born
Zachary Ben Hample

New York City, New York
Alma materGuilford College
Known forCollecting baseballs
Websitezackhample.com

Hample has faced criticism from sportswriters, players, and fans, some of whom have pointed out that he has been seen bumping children out of his way in efforts to grab baseballs.[1][2] The New York Post referred to him as "baseball's most hated fan."[3]

Baseball collection

On April 18, 2013, Hample caught two home run balls in a single game at Yankee Stadium, including the first career homer of Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Didi Gregorius.[4][5][6]

On September 16, 2015, he caught two home runs during the 4th inning at Citizens Bank Park, first grabbing a Jayson Werth home run and later catching a home run by Darin Ruf.[7]

Hample claimed that he got the 10,000th ball in his life at Camden Yards on August 29, 2017. The ball was tossed up to him by Robinson Cano at the end of the 2nd inning.[8]

Personal life

Hample is the son of author, performer, playwright and cartoonist Stoo Hample.[9]

Fundraising activities

According to Pitch in for Baseball, a non-profit charity that provides baseball and softball equipment to underprivileged children, Hample has raised "tens of thousands" of dollars for the organization.[10] 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.[11] In July 2015, Hample gave Alex Rodriguez the ball from his 3,000th hit in exchange for the Yankees donating $150,000 to Pitch In For Baseball; Hample also personally received an autographed jersey and two autographed bats as part of his deal.[12][13]

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.[14] 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.[15][16] 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.[17][18][19]

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.[20]

Criticism

Hample's baseball collecting habit has caused a great deal of controversy inside and outside the game of baseball.[21][22] Hample's aggressive tactics have resulted in sportswriters describing him as "baseball's most hated fan",[3] an "ego-maniacal weasel",[23] a "jackass",[23] and a "baby-punching souvenir-monger".[24] 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 "7000 of 'em."[3]

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.[25] Hample had publicly offered $1000 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.[26] Hample claimed to have caught 11 balls and claimed he would donate $1,100 to AMVETS.[27] 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.'"[28][27]

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).[29][30][31][32]

References
  1. Hickey, Brian (19 September 2010). "Did Ballhound Zack Hample Muscle Out a Kid For a Souvenir?". Deadspin. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  2. 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.
  3. Terranova, Justin (20 June 2017). "Why this ballhawk is baseball's most hated fan". New York Post. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  4. Zack Hample Catches 2 Home Runs During Yankees-Diamondbacks Game (AP/Huffington Post)
  5. "Good Day for Gregorius, Better Day for Fan". Fox Sports Arizona. April 19, 2013.
  6. 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.
  7. Allen, Scott (September 17, 2005). "Bryce Harper is lucky he hit his 40th home run where he did". Washington Post. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  8. Miller, Doug (September 6, 2017). "Film digs into ballhawk Hample's gift of grab". Mlb.com. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  9. Weber, Bruce (24 September 2010). "Stuart E. Hample, Humorist and Cartoonist, Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  10. "Zack Hample". Pitch In For Baseball. 30 November 2017.
  11. BIGS® Sunflower Seeds and the Greatest Ballhawk of All-time Go For an Amazing Baseball Record to Benefit Charity, Yahoo! Finance
  12. "A-Rod, Yanks settle dispute, he gets ball from 3,000th hit". USA Today. Associated Press. July 3, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  13. Raynor, Grace (July 3, 2015). "Fan presents 3,000th hit ball to A-Rod". mlb.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  14. Scoggins, Chaz (July 8, 2012). "This baseball stunt goes way back". The Sun. Lowell, Mass. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  15. Hample tries to catch history in Lowell, Minorleaguebaseball.com
  17. Le Marie, Nicole (July 14, 2013). "Zack Hample catches baseball dropped from 1,000 feet". Metro. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  18. Johnson, Blair (July 16, 2013). "Zack Hample's helicopter drop catch". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  19. "Guilford College graduate Zack Hample catches baseball dropped from 1,050 feet". Charlotte News & Observer.
  20. Jolivet, Lindsay (15 July 2013). "Baseball collector breaks world record after catching ball thrown from helicopter". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  21. Petchesky, Barry (June 30, 2016). "Ballhawk Zack Hample Throws Fit Because Someone Else Wanted A Baseball". Deadspin.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  22. Petchesky, Barry (July 1, 2016). "Against Ballhawking". Deadspin.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  23. Adair, Jim (31 August 2016). "Zack Hample Rubbed His Ego-Maniacal Weasel Stink All Over CBP". Crossing Broad. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  24. 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.
  25. Rovell, Darren (July 3, 2016). "Ball hawk's presence at Fort Bragg causes stir". espn.go.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  26. 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.
  27. Axisa, Mike (July 4, 2016). "There's a petition to ban notorious ballhawk Zack Hample from MLB ballparks". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  28. Rodger Mullen Staff. "Baseball collector apologizes for attending Fort Bragg Game". Fayobserver.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  29. "Interview with Zack Hample at Funspot". Twin Galaxies. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  30. "*True* arcade gaming world records page". Classicarcadegaming.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  31. "Arkanoid arcade video game by Taito (1986)". Arcade-history.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  32. "Scores of Zachary Hample". www.twingalaxies.com. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
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