Joc's unique take on LA rivalry as Giants fan turned player originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Before Joc Pederson ever stepped foot in the outfield at Oracle Park as a Giant, he already was very familiar with all of the sights and sounds that come with taking in a baseball game at Third and King -- from both the visiting dugout and the stands.
Pederson, a Palo Alto native, might be the only Giants fan in history who has gone from rooting for the team in high school to being drafted by the arch-nemesis Los Angeles Dodgers, to eventually crushing splash hits into McCovey Cove while wearing a San Francisco uniform.
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The full-circle moment isn’t lost on Pederson, who signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Giants in March just over 11 years after attending the 2010 World Series parade in San Francisco with his friends.
Since then, he has been able to take in the Dodgers-Giants rivalry as a member of both historic franchises and as a lifelong fan of the Orange and Black.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Pederson said during an exclusive interview with Therese Viñal and Anthony Garcia on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Summer Sunday.” “Even this view right here is kind of what I remember. You know, I can’t remember the last time I’ve been in the stands here at a game, and you kind of have the garlic fry smell and whatnot.”
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Pederson reminisced on the Giants’ storied rivalry with the Dodgers as a player who now has experienced the intensity in both uniforms.
“Playing the Dodgers, it’s always a fun experience,” he told Viñal and Garcia. “Or playing the Giants, it was always sold out. Electric, whether it was at Chavez Ravine or out here, and they somehow are always close games. It’s kind of like North Carolina and Duke.”
During Pederson’s six full seasons with the Dodgers from 2015-2020, the Giants went 50-55 against Los Angeles -- two evenly-matched teams, despite the Dodgers claiming the NL West title all six of those years.
“I was fortunate to be on a team where we won the division every year, but it seemed like wherever we came here, even if the Giants were having a tough year or if they were having a good year, it was still the games where even a lot of the times we did not play well in San Francisco,” Pederson said. “So yeah, it was always fun.”
Stepping into the batter’s box against Giants legends like Madison Bumgarner never was avoidable when the Dodgers rolled into town, Pederson mused. The matchups were made all the more imposing by catching great Buster Posey behind the dish.
“Madison Bumgarner, somehow through every single series, you would never miss MadBum,” Pederson laughed.
RELATED: What facing Lincecum was like for Bay Area native Pederson
One of his favorite Giants-Dodgers memories? Facing off against a freaky pitcher he once watched as a high schooler in the stands.
“Some very cool memories from all those years,” Pederson said. “Tim Lincecum, I got to play against. I grew up watching him play, so a lot of fun.”
Pederson already has made plenty of new memories at Oracle Park since signing with San Francisco, including a recent chat with Barry Bonds that led to his historic three-homer game.
Even though the Giants are 0-2 against the Dodgers so far this season, it is an even year. But only time will tell if Pederson is able to attend a World Series parade as a member of the Giants rather than as a fan of the team.
