BOSTON (WHDH) - A man who has snagged thousands of baseballs at MLB stadiums added two more to his collection during the Boston Red Sox’s American League Division Series win on Monday.
Zack Hample, who documents his home run catches on YouTube, caught home runs hit by Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers and Rays shortstop Wander Franco in Boston’s 6-5 victory over Tampa Bay.
“The hardest part was having luck on my side tonight but once the baseballs went up in the air, it was like alright, I got this, no big deal,” he recalled.
Hample says there is planning involved with setting oneself up to make the perfect catch but a lot of it comes down to luck.
“I had great seats,” he said. “I didn’t actually expect anything but I’m always ready.”
Hample almost didn’t go inside Fenway Park for Game 4, thinking he could have better luck trying to catch a ball from outside the ballpark; however, he was thrilled when everything lined up perfectly — twice.
“I try to put myself in the right spot game after game after game,” he said. “There will be 10 or 20 games with nothing, and then eventually the luck is going to swing in my favor and tonight was the ultimate example of that.”
Hample says many fans recognized him from his YouTube channel and were cheering him on.
Although he is not a fan of any specific team, he says he’s really happy for the Red Sox as they move onto the American League Championship Series.
“Being immersed in that crowd and feeling the good vibes from everybody, I was really happy that it did work out for the Sox,” he said.
Hample has now been to 99 baseball games so far this season and is thinking about returning to Boston to watch the Sox take on their next opponent.
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