Pham: Pederson 'deserved' that slap
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham believes he was in the right when he confronted San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson over a dispute surrounding their fantasy football league.
"You know what, I've got no regrets," Pham told USA Today's Bob Nightengale. "None at all. Joc deserved to be slapped."
Pham was suspended three games in May after he slapped Pederson. The 34-year-old revealed the Giants threatened to file assault charges.
"I'm like, 'Go ahead. Assault for a slap? OK. People do way worse," he said.
Pham said MLB threatened to suspend him 8-10 contests if he didn't accept the ban. The league used Rougned Odor's eight-game suspension for punching Jose Bautista in 2016 as a comparable.
"I was like, 'Come on, how is that even similar to Odor?'" Pham said. "That was a punch, and it was during the game."
Pham also admitted he wanted to slap Pederson last season, but when his Padres played the Atlanta Braves in September 2021, Pederson never came out to the field.
"I would have slapped him last year if I saw him," Pham said. "He knew that. Everyone knew that."
Pham believes many people support his actions.
"There were about 100 people that thanked me after I slapped him," he said. "Players, coaches, trainers, reporters. What does that say? I was like, 'Damn, I didn't know Joc was this disliked.'"
The Reds and Giants are scheduled to play their final series of the regular season from June 24-26 in San Francisco.