Zack Hample, a well-known MLB ballhawk, recently sparked controversy by interfering with play during a game at the New York Yankees’ spring training facility. While Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz pitched, Los Angeles Angels’ Kyren Paris hit a deep fly ball that Hample snagged by reaching over the outfield wall, denying Rays left fielder Christopher Morel a catch. Umpires confirmed the play after video review, allowing Paris’ home run to stand in the Angels’ 4-3 win. Fans reacted strongly online, with some calling for Hample to be banned due to perceived fan interference, while others criticized Morel’s missed catch.
A favorite among MLB batters known for his warning-track power, infamous ballhawk Zack Hample has once again transformed a possible out into a home run by reaching over the outfield wall, ostensibly interfering with the play.
This most recent incident occurred Tuesday at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training venue where the Rays are hosting home games in 2025 after hurricanes damaged Tropicana Field.
With Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz on the mound, Los Angeles Angels second baseman Kyren Paris launched a high fly ball to left center, allowing Hample to easily reach over the wall and snag the potential out from Rays left fielder Christopher Morel.
Umpires reviewed the play, but they found insufficient evidence of fan interference to overturn Paris’ third home run of the season.
Sadly for the Rays, that proved to be the pivotal moment in the match as they lost 4-3, marking the beginning of their 13-game homestand.
Fans have historically been outraged by Hample’s knack for turning potential outs into home runs.
Hample (in gray) had his mitt on in left-center field as Paris’ deep fly reached the wall
Zack Hample is pictured on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show back in 2008
‘I’m completely serious; this guy needs to be banned for life,’ one critic commented on X.
Another added: ‘It’s (sic) truly remarkable how bothersome this guy is.’
Others believed Morel simply missed the ball at the warning track.
‘I dislike Zack Hample as much as anyone, but Morel literally jumped and missed the ball??’ one inquired.
Many others accused Hample of ‘fan interference,’ which under MLB rules would warrant ejection.
At 47, Hample claims to be an expert at catching home run balls. He has authored books on the subject and has collected thousands of baseballs at stadiums across the country.
In 2013, the Yankees season-ticket holder caught two home runs in a single game. Two years later, he was at Yankee Stadium to catch Alex Rodriguez’s 3,000th hit—a home run that landed in the right-field bleachers.
‘I looked down, and the ball was right at my feet,’ he told The Associated Press at the time. ‘It bounced off and was almost touching my shoe.’
Hample did not immediately return that ball despite requests from the Yankees organization, who had an easier time retrieving Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit years earlier.
Hample poses for a photo with Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees after giving Rodriguez the ball from his 3,000th hit at Yankee Stadium on July 3, 2015 in the Bronx
‘My intention all along, and I envisioned this scenario as a one-in-a-million chance, was not to give it back,’ Hample stated to reporters. ‘You see, the guy who got [Derek] Jeter’s 3,000th hit was called an idiot by many, while others claimed he was a kind person and exceptionally generous. I genuinely believe that whatever you decide to do with it is your choice.
‘I think that someone like Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez, who has earned half a billion dollars in his career, doesn’t really need a favor from a regular fan like me. I’m uncertain if I will sell it at this time. I mean, based on what the Yankees might offer, I would think about returning it.
‘But I’m not going to return it for — I don’t plan to give it back for a chance to meet him and get fully autographed bats because I don’t collect bats; I collect baseballs. Having this ball is incredibly meaningful to me. I can hardly believe that I actually got it.’
In the end, Hample gifted the ball to Rodriguez, and the Yankees donated $150,000 to Pitch In For Baseball, a charity supported by the infamous ballhawk.