Well-known MLB collector and fan Zack Hample confirmed earlier this month that he would return a historic home-run baseball hit by New York Yankees All-Star slugger Aaron Judge to Judge if able to retrieve such a souvenir. That was before Judge smashed his 60th homer of the season that tied the mark reached by Babe Ruth in 1927 on Tuesday.
Hample will not be at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night when Judge attempts to at least tie the all-time American League single-season record of 61 home runs set by Yankees legend Roger Maris in 1961.
“I am actually in Southern California at the moment,” Hample told Jared Schwartz of the New York Post about Wednesday’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Yankees held in the Bronx. “I’ve had this trip booked for a while, in my pursuit of going to all 30 stadiums this year. I thought about canceling it, right up until the last second. Kind of wish that I had, based on Judge hitting No. 60 while I was gone and also where that ball landed. That landed right near one of the few of my regular spots at the stadium, so that’s pretty frustrating.”
Instead of Hample, 20-year-old City College of New York student Michael Kessler obtained Judge’s 60th home-run ball and gave it to the 30-year-old in exchange for signed merchandise and a meet-and-greet with the larger- than-life baseball hero. It’s since been said Kessler likely could’ve sold the piece of baseball history for tens of thousands of dollars.
Hample, meanwhile, claims to have grabbed roughly 12,000 baseballs at ballparks during his lifetime. He intends on attending at least five more Yankees home games before the regular-season ends on Oct. 5.
“It’s always gonna eat at me, especially with where No. 60 landed,” Hample added during his comments to The Post. “I hate to root against Judge, and that seems like a losing bet. I don’t want Yankee fans to be pissed off at me for saying this but I really hope he doesn’t hit a home run for a few days.”