MLB: Portrait of Tommy Pham: Believe in Yourself

Outfielder Tommy Pham had no one at the St. Stephen’s.Louis Cardinals this season on the note.But then several regular players were injured, so Pham had to take the chance and grabbed it.Behind him lies a long, complicated story that he would probably not have mastered without his motto of life.

A baseball player’s way into the MLB can be a stony one.Not everyone is blessed with as much talent as a Bryce Harper or a Stephen Strasburg, who have hardly spent a whole year in the Minor Leagues.Others may have the talent, but they are repeatedly thrown back by uncertainties.Be it injuries or other circumstances.

The path of Tommy Pham, who finally made his breakthrough in 2017, is a symbol of how difficult it is to reach the big stage of baseball.By the time he reached this point, he had to cope with numerous setbacks.He was about to throw everything and give up his big dream of the Big Leagues.But then came 2017.

At the age of 29, Pham finally made his long awaited breakthrough in the world’s best baseball league.But it’s not too late for him to do so.A breakthrough so close to 30.Birthday is certainly not a rarity in this very individual sport.Prominent examples such as David Ortiz or Jose Bautista prove that it sometimes takes longer.

But unlike Ortiz and Bautista, Pham hadn’t been in the league for a few years before he suddenly got the hang of it.Rather, it was other obstacles that threw him back far too often.

The complicated story of Tommy Pham began in early childhood.Actually, even at birth.His father was not a factor in this.When Tommy and his twin sister Tommy were born, the father was already behind bars – he was a drug dealer and threw a promising college football career out of the window.

Pham and his sister first met their producer at the age of four, a second time at twelve.Both were prison visits.He had a long sentence, but he was released once and then convicted again for selling drugs again,”Pham told USA Today,” He tried to stay in contact afterwards, but I didn’t want anything to do with him.When he got busted for the second time, I said to myself,”You know what, I don’t need this relationship.”

And so Pham grew up without a father.Al Ramirez, the father of Alvino Ramirez, Pham’s best mate, was the one who eventually filled this role.They’ve known each other since they were both nine years old.Ramirez took both boys to baseball games and tournaments because Pham’s mother had to work in two jobs to somehow make ends meet with the little family.While Pham was playing in the Minors, he even lived with Ramirez for three years.

“I just tried to be a father figure to him.We tried to make the best of the situation he was in.He never really talked about his father.He let baseball be his oasis,”said Ramirez.

Pham didn’t want to know of compassion, however:”I didn’t need someone to talk me into things or cuddle me.I only had myself and that was fine with me.I had all the motivation I needed.”

At Durango High School in Las Vegas, he finally became a star and shone with an average of 581 with ten home runs, 56 RBI and 28 stolen bases, and he also had a grade point average of 4.5 GPA, which made him a model student – a GPA over 4 is already outstanding.

All this earned him a Cal State Fullerton baseball scholarship, but his family needed money, so the college dream didn’t come true.Instead, he went straight into professional baseball – in 2006, the St. Stephen’s team pulled him out of the game.Louis Cardinals in the 16th.Round of drafts and gave him a signing bonus of $325,000.

However, Pham didn’t make his MLB debut until 2014, not because it wouldn’t have been enough in terms of sport.Rather, his body did not participate – be it through unhappy injuries or congenital diseases.

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In his eleven years in the Minors, he broke his wrist, tore a ligament and tore a joint lip in his shoulder.And when he actually made it into the MLB team of cardinals in 2016, he also tore his abdominal muscle at an attempt to prevent a home run at the fence.

On top of that – as if the list were not long enough – a corneal cone was found.The degenerative eye disease with the technical term keratoconus causes a continuous thickening of the cornea, which leads to a deterioration of the vision.It wasn’t until 2009, when Pham started wearing special contact lenses, that he could see well enough to see pitches properly.In his left eye, however, the condition is already so far advanced that Pham on this eye is officially blind.

However, none of this prevented Pham from continuing to pursue his great dream.His motto “Believe in Yourself” is more than just a slogan tattooed on his left upper arm.It’s his philosophy of life.

But that alone would not have been enough to keep him in the majors.After weakening in jumping training in 2017 – he beat. 200 – and losing the fight for the last place in the outfield against Randal Grichuk, he was once again sent to the Minors for Triple-A Memphis.At the latest then he threatened to turn away from his path and end the adventure of baseball.

“He called me one night,” said Alvino Ramirez, Pham’s boyfriend from Las Vegas, USA Today:”Tommy told me,’ I don’t think I want to keep playing’, but Ramirez didn’t want to hear it:” I told him,’ I won’t let you give up.You’ve worked too hard for this.You survived all these injuries, all the effort and setbacks.You have to find a way, keep fighting.You’re gonna be okay.”

Ramirez was proved right, because ten days later the outfielders Stephen Piscotty and Dexter Fowler injured themselves in successive innings.The 5th.May the call up came and Pham was once again in the majors.This time he wanted to stay and put his intentions into action: In his first series against the Braves he managed six hits and three home runs.In May he was also the best cardinal with a 320 average, five long balls and 14 RBI.The rest is history, as they say.

Two weeks before the end of the season Pham has also reached his next goal, 20 home runs.What’s more, he is by far the most valuable cardinal player this season!According to Fangraphs he has 5 “Wins above Replacement” (WAR) – 15th place in the MLB!He’s on a par with superstar Bryce Harper.The next best cardinal positioners are 2.4: Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong.

Given that both Piscotty and Fowler are fit again and Pham stayed in the lineup, he is definitely one of the tribe.And to those who will also play an important role in Missouri in 2018.

Pham has arrived on the big stage.And now it’s not only him who believes in him.