George Lombard Jr. had barely begun celebrating the first home run of his major league career when attention shifted toward the crowded section of Yankee Stadium where the ball had landed.
At the center of the scramble was Zack Hample, baseball’s most famous and polarizing souvenir hunter.
Standing in an aisle beyond the left-field wall, Hample stretched his glove toward the descending ball but missed it by inches during the New York Yankees’ 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
The ball appeared to deflect through several hands before Bruce Roberts, a Utah resident visiting with his family, secured it.
Roberts had brought his son Cash to the game to celebrate his 12th birthday, turning an already memorable night into an unexpected place in Yankees history.
He later returned the ball to Lombard in exchange for signed baseballs and a meeting with the 21-year-old shortstop.
“No-brainer,” Roberts told The Athletic. “They were really generous about it.”
The straightforward exchange ensured that Lombard received the keepsake from a remarkable debut. His fifth-inning drive wasn’t merely his first major league home run.
It was also his first hit, run scored and RBI, arriving in only his second career plate appearance.
Why Zack Hample attracts attention wherever he sits
Hample has spent decades traveling between major league stadiums in pursuit of baseballs hit or thrown into the stands.
He says his collection has grown beyond 12,000, including several pieces connected to significant moments.
That record has earned him a large online following and a reputation for understanding ballparks, batting tendencies and positioning better than almost anyone in the seats.
It has also made him deeply unpopular with sections of the baseball audience.
Critics have accused Hample of moving too aggressively through crowded seating areas and competing with children for souvenirs.
His methods have repeatedly sparked online arguments over whether his preparation and persistence represent impressive dedication or excessive behavior from an adult collector.
The reaction to Tuesday’s near miss reflected that division. Some social media users openly celebrated when the ball escaped his glove and ended up with the family attending Cash’s birthday game.
Previous Yankees catch created national controversy
The Yankees already know what can happen when Hample secures a milestone ball.
He caught the home run that became Alex Rodriguez’s 3,000th major league hit in June 2015 and initially resisted attempts to return it.
Negotiations continued until the organization agreed to donate $150,000 to Pitch In For Baseball, a charity he supported.
Hample also received signed memorabilia before presenting the ball to Rodriguez during a pregame ceremony.
“Something kind of went off in my head at that point, and I thought, ‘Hmmm, all right, a few hours ago there was no way I was giving it back,’” Hample said at the time.
He explained that the charitable offer persuaded him to reconsider.
“I really was thinking Pitch In for Baseball and how I could use the situation to help them,” Hample said.
There was no extended negotiation surrounding Lombard’s home run. Roberts quickly agreed that the ball belonged with the rookie whose swing had created it.
Hample left without the souvenir, but his presence still became part of the moment.
That’s the unusual influence he holds within baseball culture as even when he doesn’t catch the historic ball, everyone notices how close he came.
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