CLEVELAND — Tommy Pham still can’t believe the ball he hit Saturday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series didn’t leave the yard.
As an intrepid reporter was interviewing MLB commissioner Rob Manfred outside the White Sox’ dugout Monday before Game 2, Pham left his batting-practice session to ask Manfred an important question:
“Rob, what’s going on with the balls?”
“What balls?” Manfred replied.
“I can’t be hitting no-doubters, man, and not helping them in getting out,” Pham said — probably half-joking and half-serious. “How am I supposed to get a job next year if that ball don’t go out?”
The question drew laughter from Manfred and other onlookers, but it was clear what Pham still had on his mind.
In the sixth inning, Pham hit a ball 366 feet to the left-field wall with an expected batting average of .860, according to Statcast. But the wind knocked it down, Angel Martinez leaped to catch it, and then he doubled off Miguel Vargas, who — like seemingly everyone else — thought the ball was gone.
“You’re on your own with the hitting-out thing,” Manfred told Pham.
Pham had been crushing the ball in batting practice, sending some into the left-field stands. He told BP pitcher Justin Jirschele about one blast, in particular.
“I said I hit that one less than the other one [Saturday], and it went out,” Pham said.
He had another question for the commissioner.
“Have you seen ‘Major League’?” Pham asked. “When Willie Mays Hayes hit the ball and he pimped it and it didn’t go out? [Someone] made a clip of me doing it. They put them together. It was funny.
“I need a good ball.”
“It’s good to see you,” Manfred said.
The conversation ended cordially, and the interview resumed — albeit awkwardly.
What does having the White Sox in the postseason mean for baseball?
“Chicago’s one of our oldest franchises, big market,” Manfred said. “They’ve struggled in recent years, and it’s a great turnaround story. It’s something that we love. It’s really good for baseball.”
Manfred was visiting the Sox for the second time this postseason as he makes his way to every major-league ballpark still hosting games.
“We started Tuesday, we went to Houston,” he said. “Then we went on to San Diego, saw them that night. Came back the next morning to Atlanta, and then got to New York in time for the Yankee game. We went to Milwaukee yesterday, and we’re here today.”
Perhaps he’ll see the Sox again — in the AL Championship Series.