THE
PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT BASEBALL -- AND HOW TO SNAG ONE AT A MAJOR LEAGUE GAME
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The Baseball — fan mail
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| February 24, 2012 Congratulations on truly remarkable achievements this past year - both with your ballhawking accomplishment and your book (which I read and thoroughly loved). While the summer for me wasn't exactly a great one, keeping track of your travels was a bright spot. Well done! -Rob |
| February 4, 2012 Hi Zack, I just wanted to say that I read your book The Baseball and got SIX baseballs at a college baseball game. I didn't ask many times but EVERY time I Asked I got a ball! Thanks so much Zack! From, Austin |
| February 4, 2012 Hi Zack, I just started reading The Baseball, and I can't put it down. Nice job. I'm currently researching sources for a book or article I'm writing, and I was wondering where you were able to search the Sporting Life issues you reference? I can't find a library or web site that has them. If you could let me know, I'd appreciate it. I also read about your family's bookstore. What an awesome place. You're very lucky to get to work with such interesting items every day. Thanks, Tom |
| January 26, 2012 Zack, I hope life is well. I was able to catch your reading at the Philadelphia Library down here, & enjoyed it immensely; they did a good job pairing you with the author of the Campanella biography, especially since he seemed a little deathly serious about things & you really gave the reading its life as it were. I hope your book is doing well & that you are looking forward to the upcoming season. Peace, Clint |
January 23, 2012 I'm a huge fan, bought at least 15 copies of Watching Baseball Smarter. I give them as gifts, except my own treasured copy which you signed. Anyhoo, my husband got me The Baseball for Xmas, and it is terrific. You're as good a writer as you are a ballhawk, managing to capture that conversational tone in your style which eludes most sports writers. It leaves their books rather flat, while yours are funny, informative, and a joy to read. This will be my new go-to gift for my baseball geek friends. Thank you! |
January 18, 2012 -Todd, age 35 |
| December 25, 2011 Thank you very much Zack for your help with the essay I could send you a copy if you want I am looking forward to reading more of your book over my winter break it has been great so far. When do you think you will be at Camden yards this year? Thank you for all of your help Merry Christmas happy holidays and happy new year -Oliver |
October 24, 2011 -Alex, age 14 |
| September 21, 2011 This is Zach again. We went to the library today, and I checked out your book. I'm home schooled and I cant wait to get all my work done so I can start reading. |
| August 4, 2011 I wanted to let you know that I purchased your third book, "The Baseball", last month and am really enjoying it. At the dinner table the other night, I was telling my husband about the good old days when fans could not keep baseballs. I don't get a lot of time for reading, but sometimes I take it in my car to read when I'm early for an appointment or have to wait for someone. -Susan Sunset Beach, CA |
| August 2, 2011 Hello Mr. Hample, I am a 12 year old boy from Oakland, California. I really want to catch a ball at a game, but, unfortunately, my dad is not real considerate of that. Do you have any ideas about how to get around that? Sincerely, Alexander PS: I read "The Baseball" and I think it's really good! |
July 23, 2011 I am hoping to have you sign a copy of your book at the Oakland Coliseum when you are there. There are four entrances to the coliseum. Do you know what entrance you will be at? If not, will you tweet it once you figure it out? Since reading your book my 12yo daughter and I have gotten 31 baseballs this year (Adv A, AAA, and MLB). Looking forward to meeting you on 9/2 -Dave |
June 24, 2011 My kids got me a copy of The Baseball for Father's day and I have already plowed through it. I cannot count the amount of games i have been to in my life but with out a major league team nearby. My son and I go to the Charleston Riverdogs almost every sunday. Tonight I scored my first ball ever on a toss from one of the Kannapolis bull pen pitchers. Thanks for all the great suggestions. Hopefully we can put them to good use next week when we go on a mini baseball road trip through Ohio. We plan on hitting the Indians vs. Yankees and all of their minor league affiliates. Email me if you ever make it to Charleston SC, we would love to treat you to a game at "The Joe". -Robert |
June 23, 2011 My wife and I are taking our boys (8 & 12 years) to NYC for a week in July and we'd like to get to a Mets game and possibly a visit to Yankee Stadium. I hope you're not headed to Chicago that week. I'd like to take my boys to a game you'll be snagging. I'm saving your new book for our travel day. I did read the first page and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the first few lines; it was hard for me to get past the 1994 strike. In fact, I threw away all of my old ticket stubs from the mid-70's on...anyway, well done and I can't wait to enjoy the book! -Dennis |
| June 12, 2011 Great to meet you at Coors! Thanx for signing my copy of "The Baseball" -- truly a fun and informative book that should be on every fan's reading list. Might see ya on Sunday after we chase autographs! -Gary Denver, CO |
| June 3, 2011 My first game after reading The Baseball was last night. I couldn't come early because I was going with my neighbors, and I had to stay in one section (luckily it was right behind the dugout). I got three balls, gave two away. The one I kept was thrown by Albert Pujols who I was dying to get a ball from. :D Thanks for all your help and congrats on your 5,000 ball. If you come to STL maybe we can meet each other at a game. Do you know when you may be coming? Thanks. -Peter |
June 1, 2011 |
| April 26, 2011 Hi, my name's harry and first off i want to thank you for your great writing both on your blog and in your recent book that i bought and loved. Your writing has inspired me to pick up the hobby of ballhawking. I'm pretty new to ballhawking and your tips have helped me alot. But unfortunately, my parents wont take me to many games and i live in omaha nebraska so i can only go to AAA games. I am within driving range of kansas city, and id love to know a date that your planning on visiting kc to get my book signed. Thanks again and good luck at your future games. Your fan and admirer harrison |
| April 21, 2011 hey zack, hows it going? My friend told me all about you and how you are an amazing ballhawk! Ive already read "the baseball' and it was an amazing book! I think it's great that you enorse ballhawking and have snagged so many balls. In fact, my name is zach to and im 10! |
April 20, 2011 My name is Brad. I am a 33 year old 2nd grade teacher as well as a high school softball coach in the district I teach in. I live in New Carlisle, OH and have been a die hard Mets fan since I saw them play in Cincinnati back in 85. I even have one tattoo on my arm, and its a Mets one. I am a father to an amazing 8 year old boy named Pierce. Sincerely, |
| April 2, 2011 I'm about halfway through the book -- i expected it to be awesome, but its even better than i imagined -- you've got this frantic energy that bleeds into the writing -- perfect for the subject matter. -Bassey, age 23 Brooklyn, NY |
| March 31, 2011 I finished your book a week ago and now I'm ready for baseball season. I loved your book. The history was fascinating, and you really showed how the ball affected every aspect of the game. The amount of detail was quite impressive and made for a thrilling read. Truth be told, I wasn't as interested in the ball hawk tips, but the interviews with the top guys really brought out some of what drives them to have such a crazy passion. Great! -David, age 42 New York, NY |
| March 25, 2011 Zack-- Just wanted to let you know I picked up your new book today and think it is awesome. First of all, I love the cover--the black is nice. Your voice is strong and so...you. I'm only a few chapters in (I read for two hours while sitting on the hard bench at my daughter's noisy Irish dance class, so it wasn't exactly a meditative setting) and I'm really liking it. I will finish it this week as we take our two hooligans on a road trip to Southern Utah to get warm. As a sidenote, I was thinking about how to get it autographed by you (I had that on my mind because I was also buying a Markus Zusak book to take to a reading of his I'm going to this week) and then I remembered that you live on the other side of the country and it would cost more for me to mail it and enclose a SASE for the return than it did to buy it (with my Barnes and Noble Educator Discount Card thankyouverymuch) and also I spilled Chinese food on it tonight. Ah well, it was a fun thought. Good luck with all of your publicity stuff--enjoy it--you deserve it! -Heather Boise, ID |
March 24, 2011 Oh, wait . . . Dear Mr. Hample, Now that formal correspondence etiquette has been achieved I must tell you that you have made my month! I was forwarded your note to NYJB regarding my review. Having been an author myself I can assure you that in some esoteric sense I see both sides of this coin. As a reviewer I don't expect to hear from authors or publicists post-review; I do the reviews because the publisher has given me a copy of the book, a gift of their process and of their author's time -- I don't take either lightly. To have heard from an author is special in itself -- moreso because I heard from you (forgive the lack of text formatting, please, as this Blackberry doesn't allow for such niceties). I confess I'm not a hardcore, live-and-breathe baseball kind of guy, but the game is -- by far -- my favorite sport. I have a deep respect and appreciation for our pastime, and as I learn more about it the affection grows. I played left field a couple of seasons in my childhood, and my son plays as well, although far better -- and more positions -- than I ever did. We typically attend a few games each season at Chase Field (my Dbacks sucked you-know-[insert lower anatomical extremity of your choice here] the last two seasons, but it's still baseball!). Your passion for the game is something you clearly can't hide, and I really connected with that in your book. We have watched you on YouTube and even deconstructed a couple balls as you showed. Your efforts have answered questions about the ball I always wanted to know, and you did it, clearly, through the eyes of a fan . . . as one of us. As this season gets started I want to get and read Watch Baseball Smarter. I am only now beginning to really appreciate and understand the true elegance within the game and have no doubt your second book will enhance that. With your permission I'd like to use part of your note on my blog (avomnia.wordpress.com). If there's anything I can help you with regarding the review I'm only too happy to do so. I could send a PDF copy of it or something like that. I apologize for rambling but the little boy in me is still jumping around like he's on a sugar high. Sincerely, |
March 24, 2011 Caught your interview on Here & Now on the Boston NPR station this afternoon. Nice job. Can't wait to read the book. Do you have any book events planned in the Boston area? Chris Klein |
| March 22, 2011 Congratulations on the good reviews Zack. I just finished the book last night and I give you an A+. I shouldn't have read it so close to opening day because now all I can think about is going to a game. -Noah |
| March 21, 2011 Zack, I'm just nearing 1900 (the year) in your book. Good stuff. Its crazy to think how different baseball could be game-to-game with such widely varying baseballs being used. -Todd, age 34 Wyomissing, PA |
March 17, 2011 |
| March 15, 2011 Dude. I love the book. I got it the other day and I've already read just about all of it. The commemorative ball visual came out brilliantly. The how-to section is perfect. The top ten ballhawks part is hilarious. It's great to see it all come to completion. Thanks for the shout-out at the end. It was really nicely put. Congrats! -Greg, age 22 New York, NY |
March 13, 2011 Fantastic book - defintely the best of your 3! Congrats! Hope it is a best seller! 3 more weeks until opening day! Can't wait! This year we have 2 big trips planned - PNC (we are getting married there during a game!) and Wrigley for our Honeymoon!!!! |
| March 13, 2011 Got your book Wed. and just finished it Saturday. Loved the book! It was like going to the movies, I was lost in another world. One of the best books I have ever read. -Scott |
March 12, 2011 Just picked up my 3 copies of your book! WOW you are fricking kidding me!!! Awesome inscription this means a lot to me thanks!! I am so glad I got a 3rd copy cause no one is touching this book! I am so happy right now thanks a lot. I missed out being a kid around this great sport but I totally feel like a kid right now!! A record I will treasure! Good luck for this season hope to catch you at a game soon! A friend indeed |
| March 11, 2011 Just got it in the mail. Plan to finish it by sunday. Thanks for writing 3 of maybe 10 books I've ever enjoyed. -Joe, age 16 Sag Harbor, NY |
| March 11, 2011 Z-Man- you outdid yourself on the book man! I am loving it. I can tell that it was a labor of love. I know your dad is looking down and beaming with pride. -Bob, age 37 Minneapolis, MN |
| March 11, 2011 The book looks fantastic! I can't wait to curl up with it tonight. And hug you congrats tomorrow! Thanks so much for the note and acknowledgment too--your books are always so fun and enjoyable to edit/make comments on, so you'd better keep writing them so I can read them :) -Lia, age 29 Brooklyn, NY |
| March 10, 2011 My copy of The Baseball got here and I'm only in the Celebrity Ballhawks section but I must say it is already up there on my all time favorites. Though I don't understand how a PRE- order would get here well after I would have been able to go out and get the book at a bookstore. -Mateo, age 16 Bronx, NY |
March 9, 2011 Got your book in the mail on Monday morning from Amazon! Great read! I'm almost finished already, and I'm normally a slow reader! I read the "How to Snag a Major League Baseball" section first. I'll be testing out your foul ball strategies today at the Dbacks new Spring Training stadium in Scottsdale. They have a special inaugural logo printed on all the game balls, so it would be nice to snag one to have something a little different. Hope you have a great season this year! -Trevor |
| March 8, 2011 Well I was able to purchase the book believe it or not last night!!!!!!... I called my local Barnes and Noble Bookstore yesterday around 3pm and asked if they would be carrying a copy..She said they would be and would call me when it came in. While at my son's baseball game I recieved a call back from the bookstore saying the book was in and waiting at the counter (this was around 8pm).......I have to say I was very excited..Been looking forward to reading this ever since you blogged about your experince in Costa Rica at the Rawlings factory... Just the first few chapters read, I have to say you have hit a home run with this book Zack.. Being a father and having been lucky enough to have a great dad of my own, the single blank page with the words "This one's for my dad." had me holding back tears. I'm sure your dad would be very proud of you and this book. Best of luck and looking forward to this years ballhawking... -Dave |
| March 8, 2011 Hey Zack I just picked up your new book and must say that this thing is a work of art and was wondering that if I sent you my copy if you would take some time to sign it for me but I know that your busy with opening day only a couple of weeks away! Please write back Fellow ballhawk Drake .J. Tytler |
March 7, 2011 "I see your bud has a new baseball book out tomorrow so I'm making sure it gets a good spot on the front of our new paperback table. He's representin' in the D-E." Congratulations, kid. I'm glad your day's finally here :) |
| March 7, 2011 Zack- I just saw your book and it looks terrific. I read the introduction which is also terrific & makes me want to read on, which I will do. Congrats! -Judith, age 75 New York, NY |
| March 6, 2011 Can't wait for the book. I'm getting it at 8 AM and I may just finish it all on Tuesday! |
March 6, 2011 Its GO TIME, baby! Congrats on the imminent release of "The Baseball." Its bitter sweet -- bitter because we now have no more book updates to look forward to debating topics/titles/etc. for the book; sweet because we get to actually read the thing finally. I remember in 2009 reading in a book update that it was coming out in March 2011 and thinking, "that's forever away!" Now, its just a little over 24 hours away. Take care and good luck with it. |
| February 12, 2011 Hey Zack! I have the book pre-ordered and am looking forward to reading it. -Bob, age 37 Minneapolis, MN |
| February 11, 2011 Zack you look like you've aged about 10 years in the past month or two! Haven't seen that many photos of you lately but what are you doing in the off season dude??? I love your blog by the way and very excited for the new book! -Jenny |
January 18, 2011 Favorite part is probably that timeline, or the opening chapter, or even the Rawlings process. I dunno. So many cool anecdotes too. The baseball pics are so cool, very excited to see all of those. Can't wait to read the rest tonight. And thanks so much for that personalization and for singing it, and for sending me a copy. It means a lot, it feels very rewarding after all those pictures, although the process was rewarding enough. OK enough praise, I'll finish and go into detail on some things I have questions about. Oh and one of my favorite things, all the little footnotes at the bottom, with the subtle humor, that was a surprise. I'm so used to reading boring stats in those notes, nice surprise to find something unique like that. Kick ass man, excellent work. |
January 17, 2011 Awesome and thank you! I can't wait to plunge into this, starting tonight. I'm trying to resist the temptation to skip to the pictures too, but I did take a quick peak at two pages. I think it's awesome, but I'll wait until I get to that part before I really study it closely. Thanks very much for sending a galley, I feel privileged, again! I'll get back to you this week as I get through the book. I'm a pretty slow reader but it will probably be impossible to put this down. -Zach, age 31 |
| January 9, 2011 Dear Zack, I was just about to go to bed last night when I decided to read another couple of pages from the galley. Well a couple of pages turned into ten pages; and ten turned into a whole chapter. Before long, you guessed it, I finished the rest of it. I couldn't help myself. It was such a great book, that I wanted to keep reading, and reading, and reading. I even read the introduction.(Something I never do when I am reading a new book.) I learned a lot of new things that I didn't know about the history of the ball. There were even some things that I thought I knew, but had completely wrong. My three favorite parts of the book are the sections about: The Rawlings factory, Celebrity ballhawks, and the amazing timeline of how baseballs have changed over the course of the game. It is amazing how something so poorly put together was tweeked, almost every year since the 1840's, to become the masterfully assembled baseball of today. I have never read "How To Snag Major League Baseballs" or "Watching Baseball Smarter", but I can't see them being much better than this. -Matt, age 15 Willow Spring, NC |
December 15, 2010 -Phill |
December 11, 2010 Reading in my opinion is terribly painful, unless it is of my interest (i.e. sports, film, and really nothing else) but HOT DAMN! am I excited for this masterpiece that is about to be released in less than three months! Hit me up soon brothaaaaaa! -Donnie, age 21 |
December 5, 2010 I'm so excited for your new book, I have been following you on Twitter and the blog of course! Very impressive! I can't wait to check it out! Next time we are in person I am dying to hear all about the factory in Costa Rica! That is so unbelievable! Peter Luger's in '11!!! Talk with you soon! |
December 1, 2010 |
November 26, 2010 |
| November 16, 2010 Congratulations on your book, that is EXCELLENT news. I don't know if I've ever said this, but I so admire your stick-to-it-ness. Your ability to see things through is impressive, and your work speaks for itself...I've always been so impressed not just by your writing, which goes without saying (I mean, I could care less about baseball but I liked your books) but your discipline and follow-through. As a person who's working on developing discipline and follow-through in her writing, it's inspiring (OK, it inspires envy, too...but in a good way!). -Liz, age 35 New York, NY |
November 8, 2010 |
| October 8, 2010 Really cannot wait to read your new book looking foward to my 1st edition signed copy to go with your other 2 signed that I have!!!!! -Stuart Jon |
| September 1, 2010 Can't wait to see the book. I am really pumped about it. -Danny, age 63 Denver, CO |
August 1, 2010 This book is an addictive read. -Gillian MacKenzie, literary agent |
| March 10, 2010 Keep up the good work on the book-I'm eager to read it and I'm sure it will be just as fabulous (if not more so) than the last ones. -Amanda |
| February 27, 2010 It always amazes me how the chapters you read from your baseball books are so interesting...your writing is so accessible, and you make the old history so exciting. You introduced me to something I would never have thought about. -Ariel, age 31 Brooklyn, NY |
| February 8, 2010 Hi Zack, I've read a chunk of your book and I'm really enjoying it! Unfortunately, my attention keeps getting pulled away by a few other timely issues -- two novels that we are considering that go to auction this week -- so I haven't had the chance to finish even though I desperately want to! I'm going to try and get this other stuff off my plate as quickly as I can so I can focus on YOU! More soon, Jenny Jenny Jackson Senior Editor Vintage and Anchor Books The Knopf Doubleday Group |
January 30, 2010 |
| January 21, 2010 I was ready to fall asleep last night - 11:30-ish when I thought I'd read just a bit more of your book. I enjoyed the chapter on important ball-hawking moments. I was particularly impressed with your lingo in describing plays. I think you had a great training experience writing up games for MLB. I mean, your writing is fascinating. But - what I really want to say is that when I started reading your critiques of the media showing foul-ball catching, etc., I started to laugh so hard that I stopped being tired. I mean - that's big time funny. That's all. -Mom |
January 9, 2010 |
| January 6, 2010 I know you hear this at just about every meeting, but I'll say it again: I don't know anything about baseball. I don't really care about baseball. But you do make listening to you so interesting, your writing is always so compelling. I literally never thought I would look forward to hearing about something like baseball. But I always look forward to you reading. -Sarah, age 17 Brooklyn, NY |
| November 26, 2009 Hey pimp. Greetings from newport beach! Thanks again for the hangs. The book is abbsaatudalutely awesome! I had lot of fun getting a behind the scenes look. It really is going to turn out great! Big fun coming this spring/summer. Hang in there the light is on at the end of the tunnel! See ya soon. Happy hibernating. Laaataa -Brandon, age 25 |
| September 17, 2009 I hope you are getting some more work done on the book. The parts I have heard are great, I am super excited to read it. -Megan, age 34 |