Tommy Pham

Good teams grind out at-bats, and good teams swing at strikes.

Apparently, I don't eat enough vegetables.

I like to eat meat.

You control your own destiny.

I know analytics with the best of 'em.

I feel the more I play, the more I get better - just to go out there and keep playing, keep learning regarding my craft.

This is a game based upon failure.

Actually, I respect every team. That's just me - who I am as a person. I feel you have to be that way.

Whenever you have two good teams, especially within the division, there is always going to be a great battle.

At the end of the day, baseball is going to move on without me.

I got to look out for me.

In the past, I put up really good seasons.

As a team, when you're swinging at strikes and not helping the pitcher... you help out the guy behind you.

I feel like if I swing at good pitches and my swing is there, I'm going to hit the ball hard.

As a professional, you just want to be respected.

Once you hit the fastball good, you know they're going to try to attack you maybe a little different. When you hit the breaking ball after that, it makes it harder for them to adjust to you.

The tough thing about this is when you're working on something, you want some kind of results to know that what you're working on is going to work.

I feel like I could put up very good numbers in this game offensively. I just have to prove that I can do it over the course of a season.

The main thing you want to look at is, am I swinging at strikes and am I putting good swings on the balls within the strike zone.

It's good to square the ball up in Spring Training.

I feel like my ability will speak for itself.

I drive the ball pretty consistently.

I believe that I could be a really special player, and all I've got to do, I just need time to show it.

The game is valuing the overall player who can contribute in all aspects of the game.

I want to contribute in all aspects of the game.

I don't feel sorry for myself, I really don't.

When my career is said and done, I don't want to have any regrets.

I consider myself a very driven baseball player who wants to be better.

I'm just so appreciative of baseball, that's why I work as hard as I do.

I know what I'm capable of bringing to the table with my speed and my athleticism.

I know I'm being an above-average, elite player in the game.

Getting traded for the first time is a difficult experience for anyone.

I'd rather be told the truth than a good lie.

Sometimes, people don't like the truth. That's one thing I'm learning. They'd rather you lie to them, tell them a good lie, something they want to hear, instead of the truth.

Yes, it's true. I actually do smile.

I really want to be the best me.

I say, I wanna run faster. I'll look at my mechanics and see I have a bad knee drive. What causes a bad knee drive? I lack ankle mobility. O.K., so if I fix my ankle mobility, I can achieve a dorsiflex position which could drive my knee up.

I had fans in Venezuela throw things at me on the field because I was performing so badly.

I'm from a background where my mom kept it so real.

In 2016, I had an .870 OPS before I stopped playing every day. An .870 OPS in the big leagues? That plays. But I never got the recognition.

I believe in my ability, just because I'm strong mentally. I see a lot of guys in this game that mentally are weak. They crack. That's not me.

My biggest fear was being down in the minors and, even if I was dominating, knowing there was nothing for me to gain.

I've gone through so much adversity, but even after everything I went through, I never thought about quitting.

I didn't have anyone sugarcoating anything or babying me. All I had was myself, and that was fine by me. I had all of the motivation I needed.

I can just imagine stealing home to win the game. That right there might be the most exciting thing in baseball.

I was able to gain speed without sacrificing any weight, which I was excited about. I thought to get faster, I would have to get lighter, and that wasn't the case.

To be recognized as one of the best of the half-season, that would be a great accomplishment. That's something I work so hard for, outside of winning.

It's been one of my personal goals, to represent my team and the National League.

If there is anybody trying to improve his defense, it's definitely me because I know the value of improving my defense to get my overall value up as a player.

If Mike Matheny ever went up to me and said, 'Hey, you are in,' I was never caught off-guard as far as preparation. I always want to have that edge.