http://tinyurl.com/q42px35
The New York Yankees will donate $150,000 to a charity supported by the man
who caught Alex Rodriguez's 3,000th hit in exchange for him returning the
ball to the team.
Zack Hample, who has caught thousands of balls at games and written a book
about the practice, initially said he did not intend to give the ball back.
He later softened his stance on the matter in an interview on SI Now.
Rodriguez's 3,000th hit was a solo home run off Detroit Tigers starter Justin
Verlander last month.
Hample will return the ball at a press conference at Yankee Stadium on
Friday, according to a statement released by the team. The charity Hample has
supported since 2009 is Pitch In For Baseball, which donates equipment to
kids who want to play the sport.
New York opens a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.