If the Dodgers go on to win the World Series tonight, one of the more enduring images of the series will be Joc Pederson turning to his own dugout, rubbing his fingers together, and shouting, “Pay me my money!” after his seventh-inning homer in Game 6.
It was just one more moment that will help mark this series as one of the most joyous, exuberant baseball experiences in recent memory. But it also leaves a question: Who has to pay Joc Pederson, and why? During his postgame press conference, Pederson was coy:
Emotions run high. You kind of black out in a situation like that, so I’m gonna have to re-watch it to see what I did.
(Joc is now the second player in this series to claim to have been driven to a blackout by the hot baseball action. Please be careful out there in Game 7, guys.)
I’m not buying it! “I blacked out” feels like a convenient excuse used by a guy who wants to avoid getting into trouble for something. During the broadcast, Joe Buck theorized that Pederson had a friendly bet with teammate Justin Turner. Perhaps he was afraid of running afoul of the league office for admitting such a thing. Or maybe Pederson was making reference to the fact that he will be arbitration-eligible this winter, and wants the Dodgers to pay his ass.
Joc Pederson, please email [email protected] and explain your celebration to us. We promise not to tell anyone.