No, MLB did not actually ban notorious HR ball collector Zack Hample
If you’re not familiar with Zack Hample, you should honestly consider yourself lucky. The 47-year-old is a baseball collector who travels to MLB stadiums throughout the season in hopes of aggressively catching home run balls.
On Tuesday, Hample made a noticeable impact on the Angels-Rays game at Steinbrenner Field and nearly avoided a fan interference. But no, it did not result in Hample’s banishment from MLB games.
The incident in question came when the Angels’ Kyren Paris hit a two-run home run in the second inning. The Rays’ Christopher Morel likely had an opportunity to rob the home run. But without actually reaching over the wall, Hample could be seen making the catch. It was reviewed for fan interference but ultimately ruled a home run.
That brings up to a fake tweet on Thursday from an account posing as Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Baseball. The account posted an obviously fake press release that was loaded with typos and rambled on about the MLB-ESPN contract situation (with an April 24, 2024 date).
Yet, the tweet still racked up 11,000-plus likes and fooled accounts like Deadspin.
So no, Hample is not banned from MLB ballparks this season.
