Football fans love to call the NFL the “No Fun League” due to their actions against celebrations after a big play, but MLB followed in their footsteps with a one-game suspension against Tommy Pham. Pham was issued not only a suspension but a fine as well due to an obscene gesture towards a fan in Wednesday’s game.
MLB Fans Defend Tommy Pham
Pham’s suspension came as a surprise to the MLB faithful. While it was only for one game, the MLB put its foot down and decided to make an example out of the 37-year-old. Pham has had an extensive career with the MLB, dating back to his debut with the Cardinals in 2014. He’s played for St. Louis, Tampa Bay, San Diego, Cincinnati, Boston, the New York Mets, Arizona, the Chicago White Sox, the Cardinals again, Kansas City, and now. Pittsburgh. Since 2022, Pham has played for eight different teams.
Regardless of his lengthy career, the MLB didn’t hold back. In what was described as “inappropriate action towards fans,” Pham decided to appeal his suspension. Again, the suspension is just for one game, but in Pham’s eyes, it’s about the principle of it. He has no choice but to accept his actions, as he can’t take back what he did on the field, but it was completely provoked by a fan.
In the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game, Pham tried to make a play on a ball down the line, but a fan reached over the wall and placed his glove on Pham’s. McHeebler on Twitter stated, “This is BS. Fan shouldn’t be touching him.”
While the fan was moved to a different section of Angel Stadium, there have been instances where fans had to be removed from the ballpark altogether. That was not the case in Los Angeles. Yogi the Yankee Beagle added, “The fans should be suspended or disciplined in some way. Pham didn’t do himself any favors, but he shouldn’t have to deal with being hit and touched when fielding a ball.”
Some fans were joking that the suspension is going to help the Pirates, as Pham has been struggling his way through this 2025 season. His .175 average in 80 at-bats leaves a lot to be desired. He has yet to hit a home run this season and has only driven in six runs. Of the 14 hits he has, just three are for extra bases. His 25:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio doesn’t help things either, as he’s striking out three more times than he’s drawing a walk.
At the end of the day, a viral Tommy Pham moment is something the MLB was never going to let him walk away with. No matter what the fan did, no matter how long he’s been in the league, the MLB is trying to cut back on obscene gestures, and this was one of them.