Matt Murphy, the lucky fan who corralled Barry Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run on Aug. 7, should be grateful that Zack Hample wasn't at the game.

Hample, 30, is an expert in the art of procuring balls, whether snagging them himself with a specially-made glove in batting practice or simply asking for them.

As of this writing Hample's total is 3,145, with at least one prize in each of his last 482 games. The last time he came away empty was in September 1993, a streak comparable to that of Cal Ripken Jr., baseball's reigning "iron man." It's even more impressive when you realize he attends only about a game a week. (And they're all from major league games; he considers getting balls at minor league games "too easy.")

"There are other people who do this," he told NJ Jewish News, "but they don't do it in quite the same way. Most guys who are this crazy…strictly go for home run balls during games." (One fan supposedly has reached 5,000 balls, but that includes minor league acquisitions). The issue, he asked, is whose total number is a better reflection of effort or a more impressive accomplishment.
Hample knows how to say "Hey, how about a ball" in a dozen languages. "I got [Pirates pitcher] Masumi Kuwata to throw me a ball by asking him in Japanese." He's also made requests in Spanish, Korean, French, and even American Sign Language for Curtis Pride, a hearing-impaired ballplayer who played for seven teams over 11 seasons.

His reputation — he's been profiled on several TV news and sports shows — can sometimes work against him. "I think a lot of people would love to be recognized by players, but it usually means that I won't get a ball."

Hample's collection includes "donations" from Jewish Major Leaguers Brad Ausmus, John Grabow, and Scott Schoeneweis, currently with the Mets. He recently told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he'd love to add Shawn Green and Kevin Youkilis to his set.

Although Hample, who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, regularly attended Shabbat services with his family when he was younger, he never had a bar mitzva ceremony. He is considering a joint ceremony with his father when his brother Joe, a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, completes his studies in two years.

Hample has parlayed his expertise into two books — How To Snag Major League Baseballs, aimed at younger readers, and Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks (Vintage). He also hires out as a "consultant," teaching fans the fine points of watching a game and snagging balls.

Hample has no real interest in assessing his collection; for him, it's the "thrill of the chase." Nor does he care to get his prizes autographed. Since he began this labor of love more than 15 years ago, he's only requested two signatures: those of Pedro Borbon Jr., who gave him ball number 1,000, and Joe Roa, who contributed No. 2,000. He didn't get number 3,000 signed because he snagged it himself with that homemade glove, which he lowers to the field on a string.

It's a sports cliche that mothers have thrown out caches of baseball cards over the last 50 years that would now collectively be worth millions of dollars. Balls take up a lot more room, so how did Hample's collection survive? "I have a cool mom," he said. "My parents wouldn't do that…. [They] know how important my collection was to me." His folks own the Argosy Book Store in Manhattan, so it's not surprising they understand about the joys of collecting.