Zack Hample, known for his prolific ball-hawking at MLB games (estimates put his career tally at over 11,000 baseballs), was at it again Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies were hosting the Giants in the opener of a three-game set.
One of the sport’s most polarizing figures (Clayton Kershaw famously denied him a ball in 2017, telling him to be satisfied with the “7,000” others in his collection), Hample tracked Brandon Belt’s third-inning blast off Chase Anderson, which just cleared the right-field fence for a two-run homer that would account for the game’s only runs. Chasing the souvenir like his life depended on it, the infamous collector came hurdling down the aisle, making a beeline for the ball as it came to rest in the front row. And then, this happened.
Seeing Hample, who most would agree is much too old to be wearing a mitt to an MLB game, tumble in pursuit of another ball he didn’t need was an instant hit on social media, with many relishing in the 43-year-old’s misfortune.
Hample’s fervor in hunting down home runs, sometimes at the expense of children and other paying customers who weren’t banking on a grown man disrupting their viewing experience by lunging head-over-heels for a loose baseball, has attracted widespread criticism with many taking exception to his desperate, overly aggressively tactics. Many noticed Hample wasn’t wearing a mask at the time of Belt’s home run, though a fan in his vicinity claims he had just taken it off to eat a slice of pizza.
Hample assured everyone he’s okay, tweeting he’ll be “back at it” in a different stadium Tuesday night.
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