Tommy Pham Is Used To Winning & He’s Taking Charge In Cincinnati

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham has enjoyed his time playing in Cincinnati after spending the past two seasons with the San Diego Padres.

In his first year with the Reds, Pham has been one of the top hitters on the team, despite his numbers being down.

 

 

If you ask Pham how he’s been doing offensively, he’ll be the first to tell you that he’s been struggling, but he’s certainly made improvements.

“I’ve been off, man,” Pham told The Cincinnati Enquirer almost a week ago. “You guys saw the one at bat I missed (pitches) down the middle that I just don’t miss, you know? Right now, I’ve been off a few games, and it’s just something that every player in this game goes through. It’s how you get out of it, how soon you can get out of it.”

Pham put together an impressive performance at the plate in the team’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Reds had a field day and Pham put together a multi-hit performance, the third time he’s done this in July. Yes, the team has had its struggles this season, but Pham believes this team can have success in the future.

“People will laugh at me, but, you know, I’ve seen the Cubs in (2014) go from last in the division to the very next year in the postseason,” he said. “Just by players developing and maybe adding a player or two. And here this team is a really good team that’s close.”

This is unfamiliar territory for Pham as he’s been a part of teams that were playoff contenders. 

But on the other side, it is good for the Reds to have a player like Pham on the team because he brings that experience of playing on teams that have had success during the regular season. He can identify what the Reds need to become a contending team.  

“People can laugh at it, but you know, I’m a baseball guy,” Pham said. “I know the game. I understand the game. And I know talent. I have a doctorate in baseball. I didn’t go to school, I doctored in baseball.

“You’ve just got to add a piece or two and you have not only a contender, but a team that everybody’s looking at differently.”

If the Reds decide to keep Pham around, he can develop into a leader and potentially help them become a playoff contending team.

“It sounds so cliche because it’s a long season,” he said. “You can learn from just watching guys and really focus on the process of getting better. By the end of the year, you start really evaluating yourself, and the coaches are evaluating you. If you go about that process the right way, then you could go into the offseason with a better (mentality) and a better focus going into next season.”

It will be interesting to see how Pham and the Reds play throughout the remainder of the season. And the big question is, will Pham stay around long term in Cincinnati?

He certainly is a player who can help turn a team around and the Reds will be keeping a close eye on him.