Phillies Veteran Spars With Rival On Social Media, ‘You A Lame Plain And Simple’

The Philadelphia Phillies took a chance on a veteran outfielder earlier this season, adding one of baseball’s most outspoken position players to a roster already filled with strong personalities.

And while that player hasn’t been able to contribute to the big-league roster the way the team might have hoped, that outspoken aspect of his demeanor was on full display recently.

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Tommy Pham’s production has been inconsistent this season, but his reputation has never really changed. He has always played with an intensity that can make even routine moments feel personal, and his willingness to speak his mind has followed him throughout his career.

Pham’s difficult path back to the Phillies helps explain why he continues to play with such an edge.

“The 38-year-old Pham began the season with the (New York) Mets, but he was designated for assignment on April 27 after starting 0-for-13 with seven strikeouts,” Paul Casella reported for MLB.com. “He then signed a Minor League deal with the (Baltimore Orioles) on May 16, only to be released on June 12 after hitting .197 (12-for-61) with four homers and 21 K’s over 16 games with Triple-A Norfolk.”

But even as Pham has struggled to return to the big-league production he has often enjoyed in his 13-year career, he found some time to argue with a National League rival on X.

After Pham responded to a screenshot of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dane Myers apparently trying to steal a catch from his teammate during a recent game, Myers replied with some offense.

“A ten year vet, decent one at that, a ‘brother’ calling me selfish,” Myers wrote. “You are talking like an average fan man, you spent all that time in big leagues you should know/remember there’s more to a play than what just appears on the screen.”

Pham and Myers went back and forth on the social media platform, with Pham lobbing some personal insults.

“…the mutuals I talked to said (you’re) a child and they are tired of you, if I screenshot the text I’ll really embarrass you you a lame plain and simple,” Pham wrote in one message.

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Pham’s personality has long been inseparable from his approach to baseball. He has been described as a player driven by anger, intensity and a desire to prove doubters wrong, characteristics that have made him one of the more fascinating personalities in the sport.

For the Phillies, that edge can be both an asset and a storyline.

Philadelphia brought Pham aboard hoping his experience and competitiveness could provide value during a postseason push. His production since joining the Phillies may be disappointing, but moments like this demonstrate that Pham hasn’t lost the personality that fueled such a long career.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com