Aaron Judge’s record-tying 61st home run needed an expert.
The home run, which he hit during the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday, tied Judge with Roger Maris for the American League — and MLB’s untainted-by-steroids — single-season home run record.
Tickets prices have soared for Yankees games as fans hope to witness the moment and perhaps get their hands on a lucrative piece of history.
A Toronto fan named Frankie Lasagna sitting in left field got that opportunity, but came up just short as he saw Judge’s homer drop maddeningly close below his outstretched arm and into the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Yankees reliever Zack Britton subsequently fetched the ball without issue, as Lasagna threw his glove in frustration.
After Lasagna’s inches-away moment, one question immediately arose across the MLB community. Within minutes, his name was trending on Twitter.
Where was Zack Hample?
The famous home run and baseball collector has snagged over 12,000 balls in his career, most notably Alex Rodriguez’s 3,000th hit and Mike Trout’s first career homer. He regularly travels the country in pursuit of milestone and notable collectibles.
Well, he was taking in the Yankees’ crosstown rivals, watching the Mets’ emphatic walk-off win over the Marlins with The Post. But rest assured, he was all over Judge.
For each one of Judge’s at bats, Hample’s bustling intern Max Edelman, a journalism student at Hofstra, pulled up a stream of YES Network’s broadcast to watch on his iPhone.
The home run only prompted a more important question, however.
“I need to know where that ball went,” Hample immediately asked aloud, a sense of physical FOMO overtaking his expression.
A few surrounding fans mirrored that sentiment, calling out to Hample about his not being in Toronto. Just minutes later, Eduardo Escobar brought Citi Field to its feet around Hample with a two-run home run to cut the Mets’ deficit to 4-2 in the seventh inning, before later delivering the walk-off hit in the 10th. Escobar’s home run landed just one section over from where Hample was situated.
Hample was delivered slight reprieve a few moments later when it became clear that nobody caught the 61st home run. On top of that, Hample pointed out, if Lasagna had the ticket to the seat closest to the home run and indeed went to the game, he would not have been able to be in that spot closest to where it landed.
But if he was in that spot, he’s sure the ball would have ended up in his mitt.
As Judge returns to the Bronx, Hample plans to attend upcoming Yankees games in pursuit of the 62nd — and record-breaking — home run ball.
And if he snags it, he already knows what he’ll do with it.
“I think fans should do whatever the hell they want,” Hample said. “And unfortunately, no matter what you do, you’re gonna get bashed. If you keep the ball and you wanna sell it, you’re greedy and selfish, it’s not your accomplishment and the player deserves it more. And if you give it to the player, people are gonna say you’re a chump. Aaron Judge is gonna sign a $300 million contract, he doesn’t need a favor from a fan. Really, I would leave it up to the individual. I have given back all the home runs that players have wanted, including Mike Trout’s first home run, which if I sent that ball to auction now, that would go for millions of dollars. And I knew at the time how valuable it could be, he was the No. 1 prospect in baseball. Do what’s right in your heart. Judge’s 60th was returned, Albert Pujols’ 700th was not.
“For all the people out there who are like, ‘Judge, don’t hit it to Hample,’ people – if you want to see Judge get the ball back, he should hit it to me, because I would love to return that baseball to him. I make money from making YouTube money full-time, and I have merchandise and I have sponsors, but the ball goes up in the air, I’m not seeing a dollar sign flying at me. I’m just excited, I want to catch it. And beyond that, I’d love for the player to get it back no matter what the ball is.”