Joc Pederson, Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Tyler Matzek and Josh Tomlin revealed that Joc Pederson refused to leave the clubhouse to avoid Tommy Pham during the Atlanta Braves’ visit to San Diego last season.
Back in May, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham slapped Joc Pederson of the San Francisco Giants in what was revealed to be over a fantasy football dispute in the past. The story only grew from there, and it continues to do so with this latest update.
Pederson’s former Atlanta Braves teammates Tyler Matzek and Josh Tomlin revealed on “The Chris Rose Rotation,” that the outfielder refused to leave the clubhouse to avoid Pham during their series against the San Diego Padres. The reason was that Pham wanted to slap Pederson back then!
The full comments can be found at the 22:17 mark of the YouTube video, which you can watch at this link.
Braves teammates say Joc Pederson avoided Tommy Pham last season
Matzek and Tomlin heard about the dispute between Pham and Pederson in the clubhouse. That was when Matzek revealed that Pederson would not take batting practice at Petco Park and instead hit in the batting cages, all to avoid Pham.
At the time of the slap this season, Pederson revealed that it was over the fact that he stashed San Francisco 49ers running back Jeff Wilson on the injured reserve, which Pham took exception to. Then, Pham revealed that he took issue with what Pederson said during the league’s group text exchange. Pederson then said that it was over a GIF that mocked the Padres, which he showed to the media.
Things then escalated into a t-shirt war (yes you read that right). Some Giants players wore shirts ahead of a game against the Kansas City Royals that read “Fantasy Football 101: Stashing Players on the IR isn’t Cheating.” Then, ahead of the Jun 24 game between Cincinnati and San Francisco, Reds pitchers wore t-shirts that read “PHAM!” which was designed in the same style as a comic book “POW!”
The Reds took two of the three games against the Giants.
Just when you thought the story was over, more updates surface in the Pederson-Pham feud.