Cubs left fielder Joc Pederson has been making loud noises with his bat in Cactus League play, smacking three homers and driving in seven runs over his first 14 times up.
He’s making loud noises with his car, too. Like when he saw his new manager, David Ross, crossing the street in Mesa, Arizona, to grab some to-go grub and laid on the horn.
“He scared the crap out of me,” Ross said. “He had me jump about 4,000 feet.”
Pederson has a long way to go to build the sort of relationships predecessor Kyle Schwarber enjoyed with Cubs teammates, but the 28-year-old ex-Dodger has been a quick fit and clubhouse hit.
“He’s a fun guy and he keeps things loose,” Ross said, “but he also talks baseball all the time and is working to get better just like the rest of our group. He has fit in real easily, and he’s a pleasure to have around. And when he’s playing like [this], you can just tell how comfortable he is.”
On a one-year deal, Pederson will chase the same narrative all season: that he can be an everyday player, something the lefty wasn’t in Los Angeles. There’s nothing fun and loose about that. His career arc will be determined by what happens starting when he climbs out of the home dugout for the first time at Wrigley Field.
“It just comes down to trusting and believing in what I can do on the field,” he said. “I know what type of player I am.”
Happy to have an everyday shot? Oh, sure. Happy to be out of L.A.? We’ll see. A native Californian, Pederson oozed Dodger blue. His father and brother also were drafted by the Dodgers. He became a fan favorite by making a mighty splash as a rookie All-Star. He’s a beach bum.
Right now, it’s a nice fit. It’s only March, after all. Pederson will have to make a bunch of loud noises at the plate against lefties to keep it that way.
The J-Hey way
Ross told players in a team meeting Wednesday to follow Jason Heyward’s lead on the basepaths. Heyward stole a run Tuesday after A’s first baseman Matt Olson briefly bobbled a relay throw. He wouldn’t have had a chance at the plate if he hadn’t anticipated the possibility of a chance to score.
“He does all the little things right,” Ross said. “He’s a leader in the way he prepares, in the way he carries himself, the way he speaks to others and the way he sees the game.”
Pitching in at the plate
Cubs pitchers probably won’t hit in any games until next week, but the inevitable is coming.
“A lot of them can’t wait to get back in the box, to be honest with you,” Ross said.
Like riding a bike, only really badly? It’ll be almost like that 2020 universal DH thing never happened. You can decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
