July 30th, 2019 at 9:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka The only word to describe the Dodgers 9-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday night is ‘ugly’. The best that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ team could do was score one run on only four hits, while committing two errors at a place where the Dodgers have a well-established history of destroying their division rivals.
But it wasn’t just his team’s lack of offense or even their sloppy two-error defense that infuriated the Dodgers skipper on Monday night. It was the blatant lack of effort by his (experimental) first baseman. That failed (experimental) first baseman is, of course, 27-year-old Palo Alto, CA native and the Dodgers 2010 11th-round draft pick Joc Pederson.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
In addition to committing yet another error at first base – his team-leading sixth among the eight Dodgers who have played the position thus far this season – Pederson failed to run out a ground ball in the top of the eighth inning, for which Roberts immediately benched him.
“Got to run the ball out,” Roberts said curtly about Pederson’s blatant indiscretion. “I think there’s a certain way to play the game. I didn’t see the effort there.”
As for Pederson himself, although owning up to his lack of effort, he did so in a cavalier way.
“It is what it is,” Pederson told reporters after the game. “I think that it was unprofessional. I let the emotions get the best of me, and I need to be better than that. There’s no single thing, combination of things.”
“It is what it is?”
Are you kidding me?
For a guy hitting .236 with 74 strikeouts (fourth-most on the team) with only six years of major league service time, and who was benched only two months ago – on May 26 – for his lack of effort when he failed to run out a pop-up, Pederson doesn’t need to be benched, he needs to go.
After that May 26 benching, Roberts, in no uncertain terms, told reporters what he thought of Pederson’s lack of effort and lack of commitment to his teammates.
“That can’t happen. It’s unacceptable, it really is,” Roberts said at the time. “He’s too talented of a player. You look around our club, we do things the right way, play the right way. A ball in fair territory and to not make an effort toward first base, it makes everybody look bad. I had a brief conversation with him. Joc knows that’s something that shouldn’t happen again.”
It did.
Oh sure, it’s easy to say that there is no way that the Dodgers would (or should) cut (or trade) a guy who has slugged 23 home runs and driven in 50 runs in the 97 games in which he has played for the Dodgers thus far this season, right?
Check this out:
Twenty-three-year-old Glendora, CA native and Dodgers 2016 fourth-round draft pick (out of Western Nevada College in Carson City, NV) DJ Peters is currently slashing .346 / .470 / .731 / 1.200 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City Dodgers; this in only 28 games since being promoted from the team’s Double-A Tulsa Drillers on June 27th.
But wait… There’s more!
In the 68 games that Peters played in with the Drillers, he slashed .241 / .331 / .422 / .753 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI. That’s a combined 22 home runs and 71 RBI, compared to Pederson’s .236 / .329 / .505 / .833 slash-line, 23 home runs, and 50 RBI in his 97 games with the Dodgers this season.
I can absolutely positively guarantee you that DJ Peters would have run out that ground ball.
…that, you can take to the bank
Play Ball!
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Posted in 
Agree 100%. But, I hope Pederson is not being singled-out as I have watched Alex Verdugo, Corey Seager, AJ Pollock, and Cody Bellinger give no more than a 50% effort running out ground balls, frequently turning away from first base rather than running through the bag. Could it be that the players are picking up on Robets laid back approach to the remainder of the regular season; specifically the Pederson first base experiment which Roberts readily admits would not be happening if the team did not have such a large lead in the NL West. Regarding today’s 13.5 game lead over the SF Giants, does anyone else sense de ja vous? 1951, Dodgers led the Giants by 13.5 games on August 11 and ended the season tied for the NL Pennant, then the home run heard around the world.
I do and it would make for one of the longest off seasons in Dodger’s history too. Correct on those other players you mentioned about a lack of hustle running to 1st. That needs to be rectified sooner rather than later IMHO.
Can’t see Pederson still with this team beyond the trade deadline at this point, not when Beaty has already shown he’s deserving of more playing time as well as current top Dodger prospect Gavin Lux making an absolute mockery of AAA-ball since being promoted there last month from AA Tulsa. Roberts was just looking for an excuse to yank him from the game last night, but he didn’t need to. It’s over for Joc in Dodger blue and he himself has known it for the past few years now. I just pray they’re able to get something solid in return for him within these next few days, even a package of quality low-level prospects would be fine with me (lol)…
AMEN!
A trade is a good idea. Joc isn’t even one of their three best outfielders. But unless it’s already been in the works it’s not likely. They have to have it done tomorrow or wait ’til the season ends.
It was a bit harsh, but I previously referred to Joc as “scraps” concerning another commenters proposal to send him and Rios to KC for Merrifield (that deal will never happen). Unfortunately it seems Joc is just like his Instagram handle: “Yung”. Everybody makes mistakes, it’s human. But for this team, right now, he should know better. If he can be traded, fantastic!
Not only was it harsh, but rather ignorant of you to say such things in the first place. And don’t worry, Merrifield is not gonna get dealt anytime soon and here’s why: he’s the ONLY thing the Royals have in terms of a “franchise face” right now and NO team is gonna overpay for a 30-year old even if that player does have a few cost-controlled years left on their contract. Besides, I’d rather roll with Lux instead (I believe I also mentioned that rather important tidbit before you decided to put your foot in it, lol).
And stop making excuses for Pederson’s shortcomings. He knows he’s been dragging the team down lately with his inherent refusal to learn a new position. Trading him would be addition by subtraction at the very least.
inherent refusal???
you think he’s making those errors on purpose????
Well, Roberts DID pull him from the game for “lack of hustle”. Lack of EFFORT on both sides of the ball was the real reason, but it’s never been Dave’s style to come out with the direct approach. Too much of a “nice guy”, I suppose…
if “its over for Joc” then pulling him and embarrassing him was the worst thing yo can do 36 hours before the trade deadline. the guy is playing a position he has no business playing and batting lead off when he has no business there. its mind boggling to me that a guy with one of the lowest ave and obp w/ one of the highest strike out rates is batting lead off. his slg would be whole lot more useful if there were more guys on in front of him. he should have been traded in the winter of ’17. 3 bombs in the WS w/ multiple years of team control put his trade value at its peak. showcasing his failures, along with his current rate of pay and lack of control going forward all make him a more difficult trade item.
Watched Joc P last night laughing it up at first base, chatting and smiling with the Rockies players. Then he makes key errors, luckily muncy got the last ball on the fly and throwing the runner out at first saving joc another error. Joc having a good old time out there.
Excellent point! I saw the same thing.
SoCal, hello BTW. If Dodgers can somehow include Joc in a somewhat bigger package before tomorrow afternoon , fine with me. I believe everyone here is on the same page as far as NOT including Lux or May in any deal, but with Joc being moved it would perhaps free up room for Lux but Dodgers made some moves for ‘utility’ guys to fill void on a temporary basis until Hernandez and or Taylor return. We know Dodgers would not want Lux to be here sitting on the bench and that is why he won’t be considered at this time because he IS considered an every day player and Dodgers want him to do just that ..play daily. And if Joc is moved Muncy or beaty certainly can play 1st base too.
Exactly, what is Roberts excuse for putting him in the lead off spot all year when the guy barely has an ob% above his weight? I’ll never figure out how Peterson leads off while a guy like Verdugo (who works counts, walks , hits for avg and has speed), can’t sniff the top of the lineup. Maybe Roberts should suspend himself.
On the other hand, regarding Pederson’s defense at first. I see no problem putting him out there at 1B when you consider the massive division lead the team has. You can experiment with things like that. Considering Joc is learning the position at the major league level, we should really cut him some slack for his defensive miscues at first. Not everyone can adjust to new position in the big leagues like Chris Taylor can.
Pederson, Ruiz, Gonsolin and fillers for Syndergaard and Diaz.
As far as DJ Peters goes, his combined stats in Tulsa and OKC are fine actually but here is where he needs to improve… in 353 combined AB’s he has struck out 121 times, and with a Dodger team that once again is having some trouble making contact, IDK if he would be an immediate answer here. But he IS a RH hitter, which without Hernandez and Taylor both right now is hurting this team somewhat.
Get off Peters already. That big guy has finally turned a long-overdue corner in his development dating back to last month and you STILL can’t see it for yourself (lol). He’s not even striking out at the rate he did prior and not only has his BB rate gone up considerably since his promotion to AAA OKC, his contact rate has also gone way up as well. Matter of fact, I get the feeling it’s in the Dodgers’ best interest to hold onto him for the long-term. An OF of Bellinger, Verdugo, and Peters is just far too enticing to pass up due to their defensive versatility, above-average athleticism (ALL three have cannons for arms!), and combined offensive potential. That’s why Pederson should’ve been dealt LIKE YESTERYEAR and Pollock moved into a part-time role off the bench due to not being the CF he used to be. Can’t believe Friedman gave him that ball-and-chain contract this past offseason, basically overpaid for an aging injury-prone corner OF who can no longer be counted on to be an everyday player.
Back to Peters, I pray you tuned in to last night’s OKC game because he made a game-saving play out in CF that might end up being one of THE top web gems of the year as far as the minors are concerned. Oh, and he also had a double and a HR for good measure. Now has 12 longballs through his first 29 games for OKC compared to 11 total in 68 games for AA Tulsa this season, YOU do the math for once!
😉
I know I’ll take heat for this BUT, it was 9 -1. Running it out wasn’t going to make much of a difference. Now had he pulled a hammy running it out, we’d all be saying how stupid it was to run at full speed in a blow out.
Fire away.
do you want a blindfold and cigaret before the firing squad begins?
Could it also be that he’s getting traded ?