The rivalry between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates run deep. There are memories of the PNC Park crowd chanting so loud during the 2013 National League Wild Card Game that Reds starter Johnny Cueto could barely hold onto the ball. If you haven't watched that game, I recommend you do because it was truly a magical night for the Pirates faithful.
There are also memories of Derek Dietrich home runs that incited bench clearing brawls. Yasiel Puig and Amir Garrett both took matters into their own hands on separate occasions and attempted to fight the entire Pirates roster by themselves.
So, when former Red Tommy Pham joins the Pirates, there's going to be some animosity there, especially from the Reds fan base.
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Tommy Pham's stock is at an all-time low with the Pirates
The Cincinnati faithful is praying on Pham's downfall. Pham joined the Reds and spent half a season with the team during the 2022 season. Most Reds fans remember him for having a bit of a bad attitude, a lack of effort, and no love for the city or team he was representing.
Now that Pham's a Pirate, the Reds have been able to freely hate on him as much as they please and he's making their job quite easy. The veteran outfielder has reached an all-time low since leaving Cincinnati as a member of one of the team's biggest rivals.
With the Pirates, Pham is slashing .176/.262/.213 with an OPS+ of 35, no home runs, and a strikeout rate of over 30 percent. Pham has been a decent defender for the Pirates, per Baseball Savant, but he's also been one of the worst hitters in the entire league. To make matters worse, he's even been suspended a game this season, which might not be the last time he sees punishment from the league.
At this point, it might be time for the Pirates to find a way to cut ties with the veteran outfielder. He's not even a solid platoon option at this stage of his career.
If the Reds fans thought Pham was bad with Cincinnati, they should see how bad he's playing right now.