Baseball’s most obnoxious fan lived up to his reputation.
Zack Hample, the widely-loathed adult baseball collector who attends hundreds of games in pursuit of obtaining stray balls, brought his act to Coors Field during the Rockies’ series with the Cardinals.
The 44-year-old claims to have collected more than 11,000 stray balls from MLB stadiums, growing his reputation after snagging Alex Rodriguez’s 3,000th career hit and Mike Trout’s first career home run. Hample studies spray charts of hitters in the games he attends, in order to know where best to sit and position himself for home runs and foul balls.
In the process, however, Hample leaves little regard for those around him. He’s been seen knocking over and attempting to box out children, breaking stadium rules for better positioning/access and berating other fans.
None of that changed in Colorado.
In two vlogs he posted, Hample chastises Coors Field security for enforcing its rules. He includes a video he recorded during the incident, which begins as Hample attempts to enter a prohibited area to chase a home run ball.
“All right, it’s a home run ball, I’m gonna go for a home run ball,” Hample told the guard.
“No, you’re not! I don’t care,” the guard replied.
“Come on, don’t be that strict, Hample said. “That’s ridiculous. Telling me I can’t move 10 feet for a home run is ridiculous. Stop enforcing BS rules that you make up on the spot. It’s a home run ball, people can try to catch a home run.”
The guard explained to Hample his ticket was not eligible for the section he was attempting to disrupt.
Then, Hample claims he was approached by a larger group of security guards. He released a video in which a guard tells him he must stay in his seat, or be asked to leave the stadium. Hample complied.
“I’ll stay in my seat, but I want you guys to know how lousy the fan experience is here,” Hample said. “This really stinks, I have to say. Really really really stinks. You guys don’t know how to treat people. It’s not good. Big L. You guys get an F on the fan experience.”
Hample’s antics have earned him ample criticism and detractors across MLB. Clayton Kershaw notably rejected his request for a baseball in 2017, telling him “No, you got 7,000 of ’em.” Hample came under heat a year prior, when he illegally acquired a ticket to the Fort Bragg Game that was intended only for active duty military personnel and their friends and families.
A plethora of media outlets, including The Post, have dubbed him baseball’s most hated fan.
It seems to be a fitting title.
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