The man who caught Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th hit is willing to give it to the New York Yankees.
At a cost, of course.
Zack Hample, a 37-year-old New York resident, originally declined to give the ball that he caught last week at Yankee Stadium back to the Yankees or Rodriguez. But after meeting with the team, Hample told NJ.com that he could be persuaded if the Yankees meet demands that include donating money to a charity.
"I would say anything is possible at this point, but I'm trying to make things work with the Yankees," Hample told NJ.com.
Hample is described by the website for the Newark (N.J.) Star Ledger as a professional ballhawk who has more than 8,000 baseballs in his collection and has even written a book about his skill. The ball hit by Rodriguez is his most valuable by far.
At first, the Yankees offered Hample a package of gifts that included tickets, bats, jerseys, autographs, a chance to meet Rodriguez and a chance to be on the YES Network, NJ.com reported. The New York Post reported that Hample could get up to $200,000 if he took the ball to an auction.
Hample, though, still can't decide.
He told NJ.com that he met with the Yankees for the second time Monday and said he's most interested in the Yankees offering to contribute to a charity with which he is involved. He's raised more than $40,000 since 2009 for Pitch In For Baseball, a nonprofit that provides baseball equipment to children.
"I could sell the ball at an auction for a lot of money and then turn over the money to the charity," he said. "I've certainly been hearing from a lot of auction houses. But the Yankees came to me, and I really like how they have handled everything and we're trying to figure out a way that could work out."
New venture
Rashard Mendenhall left football last spring, but he seems to have found his second career already.
The former first-round pick who spent five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one with the Arizona Cardinals has taken to writing. The former running back has a writing credit on the new HBO series Ballers, which stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and premiered last Sunday.
Mendenhall, who made $13 million in six seasons, was 26 when he retired. Now he is a member of the Writer's Guild, USA Today reported.
"I've always known I wanted to write," he said. "I knew that when I was done playing, that's what I was going to do. It was kind of always a thing behind [football]."
Honoring with hops
A Pennsylvania brewery is planning to pay tribute to Joe Paterno.
The Duquesne Brewing Company told The Associated Press on Monday that it is developing a new beer to honor the former Penn State football coach, who was fired in 2011 for his role in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal and died in January 2012 while battling cancer.
The Vienna-style lager that does not yet have a name will be available in August, the AP reported, and will come in 12-ounce cans featuring Paterno's image and a list of accomplishments. The brewery told the AP that it's working with the Paterno family on the beer and a portion of profits will go to charity.
.
Q. How many baseball players have achieved their 3,000th hit with a home run?
A. Three (Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Wade Boggs).
Sports on 06/24/2015