Tommy Pham’s big day at the plate also came with some controversy that involved a back-and-forth with a fan.
The Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder homered at the plate but made more headlines when he got into a heated verbal altercation with a fan at Petco Park in San Diego during Arizona’s 6-4 win in the first game of a doubleheader. Phan was seen in the first inning yelling toward a fan, appearing to claim the fan called him “a piece of s–t.”
“Don’t disrespect me like that,” Pham is heard saying.
After someone in the crowd then told the outfielder to “go strike out,” Pham turned back and started jawing even more.
“It’s always funny when you’ve got a white man — a white man — feel like they can disrespect me,” Pham said as he pointed to his chest. … A black man or a Latin don’t do that s–t.”
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After the game, Pham addressed the back-and-forth.
“I’m all for good banter, he stepped out of line, he said something that got him kicked out,” Pham said of the fan. “Fans here, man, I just don’t get it. Not even at the field, even away from the field — completely disrespectful. Maybe they weren’t raised right because I was always taught respect until someone doesn’t give you it.”
Pham, who is Black, noted that he was being “disrespected” by a White man.
“Older white gentleman called me a piece of shit. I don’t think that’s acceptable, especially when you’re so close to the on-deck circle — neither do the security.”
The fan who posted the original video tweeted that the person Pham yelled at “has never been disrespectful to a player” and “nothing he has ever said has elicited a response like this.”
Last year as a member of the Reds, Pham was the center of controversy when he slapped Giants outfielder Joc Pederson over a high-stakes fantasy football issue. Pham accepted a three-game suspension and a fine of an undisclosed amount.
This season, he is hitting .267 with an .822 OPS.
