Tommy Pham Clears the Air, Sacrifices a Historic World Series Moment to Create Opportunity for a Teammate

Baseball is a sport bearing folks with big hearts. And there are sports people who rightly live up to that. In a recent display of compassion, Tommy Pham from the Arizona Diamondbacks made way for his “dawg”. Though there was some resistance from the fans about this move, this selfless man gave an explanation. And that was nothing less than heart-melting. 

On Saturday night, Pham had almost made history, when he chose not to. As the designated hitter for the Diamondbacks, he went 4-for-4 with two doubles in Game 2. Right then, he had a chance to go 5-for-5 in the World Series, which no player has ever done before. Yet, this moment was not as important for him as his teammate’s first plate appearance in the Fall Classic. 

One Act of Selflessness Can Go a Long Way – Tommy Pham Is a Living Example of That

In the top of the ninth inning, with Arizona up 7–1, Pham decided to give up his at-bat for pinch-hitter Jace Peterson. All this selflessness, so that his dear teammate could get his first WS at-bat. As per a tweet by @SlangsOnSports, the D-Backs outfielder commented on an Instagram post, “I asked Torey, can Jace hit for me. I wanted my dawg to get his first World Series at bat. Stop this narrative, please”. That said, Arizona eventually got a 9-1 lead after the change. Moreover, Peterson apart from receiving an at-bat in the final box score also contributed to the final score. 

This sudden move quite perplexed the parties who were not involved in this decision. However, as the 35-year-old cleared the air, some more information came to light. Not only do they share a deep friendship but also hold the ongoing World Series in high regard, considering it’s their first. When Pham made his request, Jace’s words were, “I got you. Ready. Appreciate it. Let’s go!” 

Peterson and Pham are tight and have neighboring lockers. Pham and the 33-year-old utility player are both making their Series debuts. On July 31, the Oakland Athletics acquired Peterson, and the New York Mets signed Pham the next day. Both players had the D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo stunned at the generosity. 

Torey Lovullo Was All Praises After Pham’s Gesture

As a manager, Lovullo’s response was “Are you sure? One hundred percent sure?”. He agreed to the 2014-debutant’s request with some terms and conditions at his end. He said that there was only one score under the circumstances of which, he would permit it. That is 7-1. Were there a case of lefty-righty, 7-2, he said he’d revert his decision back to Pham. But after the D-Backs won, Torey had more to add to it.

Read More : Who Is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Manager Torey Lovullo?

His words were, “This was to me a true team moment. Tommy Pham knew,” addressing the gesture. He went on to add that Tommy is a really smart guy and pays attention to things that are generally overlooked. With that, he further elaborated, “I am guaranteeing you he was aware that he had a chance to get five hits“. Doesn’t this speak volumes about the character of the player himself? A truly unselfish act to seek inspiration from.

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