Famed Ballhawk Hample Credits Arm Extension Surgery For HR Catch

Last Thursday, Mike Nickeas hit his first Major League home run.  Famed ballhawk Zack Hample made the catch and chronicled his fascinating journey to get the ball back to Nickeas.  But some are calling Hample's victory tainted.  The reason?  A controversial arm extension surgery which has many in the ballhawking community crying foul.

We met with Hample on Monday night and he explained the procedure.  "It's a simple procedure.", said Hample.  "They use a steel rod to extend the arms by as much as three feet.  Not to be greedy, I went with a two and a half foot model."

But did the extensions help him catch the Nickeas HR.  "Absolutely.  That one was a matter of inches."

But those inches are exactly what is causing an uproar among the ballhawking community.  Many feel that Hample is breaking the unwritten code of the ballhawks and that at the very least he should be banned from ever being enshrined in the Ballhawk Hall Of Fame in Gary, Indiana. 

What does Hample think of the negative reaction?  "I think it's a lot of jealousy.  I was willing to do what it took to gain an advantage.  Future generations of ballhawks will look at me as a pioneer."

All articles featured on The Apple are fictitious. No Mets were harmed in the writing of this story. Follow me on Twitter @readtheapple

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