Getty White Sox' OF Tommy Pham Being Restrained vs. the Brewers
Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham is back in the MLB news cycle and as is sometimes the case, it’s unrelated to a positive on-field performance.
The often intense Pham took umbrage with Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras and his animated reaction after Pham was gunned down at home trying to score on a not-so-deep fly ball to Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich.
Pham was HEATED after being thrown out at the plate
Contreras expertly blocked the plate and tagged Pham out. He rose and, according to Pham, had something to say while pounding his chest as he back-trotted toward his dugout.
Pham took offense and began exchanging words toward Contreras and the Brewers’ dugout. Pham had to be physically held back during a tense moment.
As expected, Tommy Pham cut to the chase in the postgame proceedings.
Just Point the Mic & Enjoy the Show
Chicago White Sox beat writer and MLB.com contributor Scott Merkin was present after the game when Pham shared his thoughts on the play and combustible atmosphere that unfolded afterward.
Tommy Pham on play at the plate:
“One-run ballgame. Close play at the plate. Actually, it wasn’t even [expletive] close,” Pham said after Chicago’s 11th consecutive loss, their longest since July 1956. “It was a shallow fly ball to left field. You would expect the left fielder to throw the baserunner out on that play.”
Pham, in a like manner hinting it was a mistake to send him home, had this to say.
“The situation of the game, you know, third base coach [Eddie Rodriguez] sends you, you gotta go. I’m nailed out at home — by a mile. I’m going to the dugout, and I hear the tough guy with all the hoo-rah [expletive],” per Merkin.
In William Contreras’ defense, the bang-bang play was fairly epic and deserved of a celebration. What Contreras did was the equivalent of a hitter admiring a long bomb and then flipping the bat with gusto.
“That’s the play of the game,” Contreras said. “That helped us stay positive and stay on attack. The only thing I’m worried about is ourselves and our players and winning the game,” per Merkin
Call it a little spotlight time for the young star backstop and his fellow catcher brethren.
Pham’s Career Struggles Began Early-On
Tommy Pham was previously taken in round 16 by the St Louis Cardinals during the 2006 amateur draft. Although Phamtastic had obvious talent, he also struggled with a degenerative eye disorder called keratoconus.
Despite the hindrance, Pham eventually found himself on the brink of getting his shot in the Cardinals’ then over-crowded outfield.
When it didn’t happen soon enough for Pham’s taste, things got ugly in St. Louis.
Per si.com’s Jack Dickey, Pham publicly dropped some heavy verbiage including these nuggets.
• “I said, ‘You know what, I’m the best [guy] on this team, and you guys don’t even know it.”
• “When are they gonna call me up? And then we’re three weeks in. The guys are still struggling, Grichuk, Dex [Dexter Fowler], Piscotty. And I’m still balling! … I zoned out in Triple-A.”
• “They won’t sell me to Japan. What the [heck]? They clearly don’t believe in me.”
In all honesty, one can make a strong argument that Pham was indeed a victim of being slighted. For instance, he eventually became a starter after a breakout 2017 campaign and was performing well. He later suffered a wrist injury and when Pham was ready to go again, he was basically told his job was no longer available.
While a suspected agenda may be true, Cardinals’ management led by the president of baseball operations John Mozeliak made it clear they won’t tolerate what they deem as insubordination.
Responding to Pham’s host of public comments, Mozeliak said, “I don’t want [Tommy] to be our spokesperson,” per Dickey.
It wasn’t long before Pham was out of St. Louis just like a couple of other lively personalities you may recognize in Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia.
Tommy Finds Trouble & Vice Versa
Subsequently, among several other incidents that occurred while Pham was jettisoning between eight franchises, the Las Vegas, Nevada native became embroiled with a fan which he claimed was racially motivated.
Conversely, Pham once slapped San Francisco Giants’ outfielder Joc Pederson in the face over a fantasy football contest while at the batting cage when Pham was with the Cincinnati Reds.
Joc shares details of what happened in his fantasy football league that started his altercation with Tommy Pham today
Tommy was also stabbed with a footlong blade in a strip club parking lot confrontation. The wound required 200 stitches and Pham later won a lawsuit against the business.
Hard Worker But Polarizing at the Same Time?
When it comes to Tommy Pham, there are a few stigmas and truths that coexist when characterizing this diverse athlete.
Regardless of how you may view Pham, his work ethic is not in question. Here’s what former New York Mets’ teammate Francisco Lindor relayed to the Athletic.
“Day in and day out, he works as hard as anybody I’ve seen in my career, to the point where I told him before he left, ‘Hey man, thank you for teaching me how to work hard again.’”
Pham has always played with a proverbial chip on his shoulder while being swift to share his thoughts.
“I see it all the time on Instagram: ‘Clubhouse cancer,’” Pham told The Athletic. “It’s comical.”
To that end, when fellow players and fans hear comments such as the following, one can see how Pham is construed on several fronts at the same time.
“So, I’ll never start anything, but I’ll be prepared to finish it. There’s a reason why I do all kinds of fighting in the offseason. ‘Cause I’m prepared to [expletive] somebody up. So, take it as what it is,” Merkin wrote.
It’s Just Tommy Being Tommy
Tommy Pham’s journey has had its share of potholes. Despite criticism which may or may not be warranted, that hasn’t deterred the now 36-year-old opinionated outfielder from chasing his dream.
From being stalled for years in the minors with the Cardinals to never landing a lucrative deal anywhere, Pham has made just $4 million more in his entire 19-year pro baseball career ($35 million) than Blake Snell will earn this season alone ($31 million).
Perhaps the best part of his resume is the many teammates and coaches from the past who still hold Pham in a respectful frame.
Pham’s former field manager (while he was a New York Mets) Buck Showalter summed it up this way, per the Athletic.
“It says a lot about a player [touching on Pham] when you have former teammates, coaches, people in the PR and the media coming up to you during BP from every team you’ve played on.”
“People are so quick to brand guys like him, who have an opinion,” Showalter said. “He’s blatantly honest. Some people have trouble with that. Most of the time, the things he says, if you really think about them, he’s right.
If you can’t handle the truth, you can’t handle him.”