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. 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. The New York Post referred to him as "baseball's most hated fan."
Hample is the son of author, performer, playwright and cartoonist Stoo Hample.
Fundraising activities
Since 2009, Hample has raised over $200,000 for Pitch in for Baseball, a non-profit charity that provides baseball and softball equipment to underprivileged children all over the world. However, according to Pitch in for Baseball, Hample has raised "tens of thousands" of dollars for the organization. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
Criticism
Hample's baseball collecting habit has caused a great deal of controversy inside and outside the game of baseball. Hample's aggressive tactics have resulted in sportswriters describing him as "baseball's most hated fan", an "ego-maniacal weasel", a "jackass", and a "baby-punching souvenir-monger". 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." 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. 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. Hample claimed to have caught 11 balls and claimed he would donate $1,100 to AMVETS. 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.'"
Video games
Hample, a competitive video game player, appeared briefly in the 2007 documentary . According to Twin Galaxies, he holds official world records on half a dozen classic video games including Breakout and Arkanoid.
