Veteran Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham had to be restrained on Sunday from going after the Brewers, following a play at the plate during an eventual Milwaukee win.
The play occurred in the eighth inning with the Brewers protecting a one-run lead. Corey Julks lifted a fly ball to Christian Yelich in left, and Pham attempted to tag up and score from third. Yelich’s throw beat Pham, and catcher William Contreras applied the tag for the final out of the frame.
Although Contreras appeared to give Pham an open lane to the plate, in keeping with the rules, Pham slid into Contreras. That may have prompted Contreras to apply a bit of taunting after applying the tag, which, in turn, led to Pham’s displeasure and attempts to engage the opposition. Here’s a look at the entire sequence:
That 4-3 Brewers lead eventually became a 6-3 win, which gave Pham’s White Sox their 11th straight loss. For the season, Chicago is now 15-45. The Brewers, meanwhile, are now 36-23 and enjoy the largest division lead in baseball.
After the game, Pham explained what happened from his viewpoint and also reminded us that he’s no stranger to the dojo. Via ESPN, Pham said:
“It was a shallow flyball to left field. You would expect the left fielder to throw the baserunner out on that play. The third base coach (Eddie Rodriguez) sends you, you’ve got to go. I’m nailed out at home by a mile. I’m going to the dugout. I hear the tough guy (Contreras) with all the hoorah s—. I 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 f— somebody up. So, take it as what it is.”
Let’s agree to overlook for the moment the barely veiled criticism of the decision to send Pham. Instead, let’s note that this is not the first time that Pham has reminded anyone listening that he’s a martial-arts practitioner and that he’s prepared to leverage those skills when necessary. Thankfully, he did not see Sunday’s semi-hostilities as being such a necessary occasion.
