It was announced earlier today that Joc Pederson would get his very first start for the Dodgers this afternoon. He would take over for a slumping Yasiel Puig in centerfield, and would bat seventh in the lineup.
And with that, the only way to appropriatey describe how excited the Dodger fanbase became is to show the below GIF.
Oh, yeah! IT'S HAPPENING!
So in honor of the explosion of joy that can only come from extreme optimism, I shall record Joc's day for posterity. Stay tuned for the "Chronicles of Joc."
First, during batting practice Joc met another former rookie phenom, via a tweet from the @Dodgers.
During BP: @yungjoc650 meets @Bharper3407 #KCancer14 pic.twitter.com/rOLOu3AU5X
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 3, 2014
Fast forward to the game and we get Joc's very first at-bat of the evening. While facing Doug Fister with two out in the second inning, Joc worked the count to 2-2 and fisted a high-'n-tight fastball for a bloop single to centerfield. He ably muscled the ball and records his very first Major League hit. Watch it here. To the right is a GIF via the Dodgers on tumblr.Woo Hoo!
In the fourth inning Joc came up to the plate for his second at-bat of the day. With Juan Uribe on first base and two outs in the inning, he worked the count full and struck out swinging on a slow dropping breaking ball. Whiff!
In the sixth inning, Joc came up with to the plate after Juan Uribe whacked a two-run home run to left centerfield and walked. He was eventually forced out at home on Dee Gordon's soft grounder to the pitcher. Joc is now 1 for 2 with a single and a walk.
Joc then opened up the eighth inning to lead off against reliever Xavier Cedeno. He swung at the very first pitch and grounded meekly to the second baseman. And with that he finishes up going 1 for 3, with a single and a walk.
Oh, well. Joc's evening wasn't quite the thing of legends, but at least the Dodgers won and he was able to knock out his very first hit. Hopefully, there'll be more fruitful returns in the future.
Now, listen to him speak a bit before the game about his first at-bat on Monday and about joining a tight-knit clubhouse.
Video Link:
Pic at the very top via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.
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