Why did Tommy Pham slap Joc Pederson? Uncovering the reason behind the infamous incident 

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham made one of the most absurd headlines around the MLB in 2022 when he slapped another player. The kerfuffle occurred in May of last season and was certainly a first for many fans.

The incident occurred in a game in late May between the Reds and the San Francisco Giants. Both sides were out on the field warming up when Pham crossed to where the Giants were warming up.

Eyewitnesses claim Pham started shouting at Joc Pederson, a player on the Giants, before slapping him across the face. The incident left fans and players who were already on the field dumbfounded.

Pham had only joined the Cincinnati Reds a few months prior, coming over from the San Diego Padres. Although many were initially confused as to why this impasse had occurred, it was later revealed to be a feud that was seven months in the making.

"Tommy Pham slaps Joc Pederson" - Baseball Fight Club

Pederson allegedly sent a meme to a Fantasy Football League group chat that both were a part of. Pederson also questioned the governing rules of the league and apparently took issue with some of the practices employed by Pham. The league was commissioned by Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout and reportedly had a buy-in price of $10,000.

Tommy Pham was fined $5,000 by the MLB and suspended for three games on account of the slap. Although Pederson was uninjured, he was reportedly quite shaken up and surprised by the incident.

"Reds players wore these shirts during pregame in San Francisco. It's the first time the Reds and Giants have played each other since Tommy Pham slapped Joc Pederson" - FOX Sports: MLB

Speaking to the media after the incident, Pham said that he did not regret punching Pederson and felt that the San Francisco Giants outfielder had it coming. Pham was quoted as saying, "It's a matter of principle, man," when asked why he needed to resort to violence to settle the feud.

Tommy Pham's antics was one of the strangest stories of 2022

A lot of memes and jokes from fans came out of the incident. Mike Trout claimed that he folded the entire league after its existence led to violence of this kind. It certainly made for one of the more unorthodox player interest stories of the 2022 season. We're just glad that everyone is okay, and hopefully the fantasy football league was able to become operational again once tempers had died down.