Dodgers: Joc Pederson Not Expecting a Warm Welcome in Los Angeles

The Dodgers and Giants are one of the premier rivalries in all of professional sports. There really are few things like it. When the two NL West teams collide, you never know what’s going to happen. That’s why the 2021 season was such a wild time. 

With the Giants and Dodgers going head-to-head for a division title, every game between the two mattered. And that made those games that much more intense. San Francisco eventually held off LA and won the West by a game in 2021. 

This year, there will be a familiar face helping out the Giants. Former Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson signed a one-year free-agent deal with them this offseason, and he isn’t expecting any love when he comes back to the Ravine wearing black and orange this year. 

“I’m happy to be on this side of [the rivalry] now and stop getting yelled at in the outfield. That’ll be nice. I’m sure the Dodgers fans will yell at me now because I’m with the Giants. But my past reunions there, with the Cubs, they were really nice. They were welcoming, I guess.”

Joc started his career with the Dodgers. They drafted him out of Palo Alto High School back in 2010 and he debuted with the big league club 4 years later. He slugged 130 homeruns for Los Angeles, including some really clutch moments in the regular season and the playoffs. 

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Joc is loved in Los Angeles. But when he shows up at the stadium wearing those colors, there’s no telling how Dodgers fans are going to react. Especially after teasing a return to Los Angeles during the offseason. 

We love you Joc, but we don’t wish you any luck this year. 

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