Joc Pederson got dissed by Barry Bonds after simple request
Like many baseball players who grew up in the 90s, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson looked up to San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds. It’s easy to see why. Bonds put up tremendous numbers on the field. It also helps that, like Pederson, he was a lefty with excellent power and plate discipline.
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So, when Pederson had a chance to finally meet one of baseball idols, he was pretty excited. During a series against the Miami Marlins, Pederson introduced himself to Bonds and told him how much he enjoyed watching him play.
What should have been a joyous occasion for Pederson quickly became awkward after the outfielder asked Bonds for a picture. According to Pederson, Bonds just turned away from him and didn’t answer the question.
Ouch! That’s not only really harsh, but it had to make for an incredibly awkward situation.
Eventually, Pederson says he just gave up and walked away. He did admit that the whole exchange briefly made him “flustered” and a “mental head case” during the game that night.
While Bonds was spectacular on the field, he wasn’t always considered the friendliest personality in the clubhouse. In that sense, maybe Pederson’s exchange shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.
Still, Bonds has quietly tried to remake his image in recent years. His Twitter account is generally pretty entertaining, and the fact that he’s back in the majors as a hitting coach seemed to suggest that maybe he was putting the past behind him.
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That’s what makes this whole exchange puzzling. After months of getting back in the good graces of his fans, Bonds dissed a promising young player who made a simple request. If he took five seconds to take a picture with Pederson, this wouldn’t even be a story. Instead, Bonds once again finds himself in a stupid controversy about his personality.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
