Joc Pederson, who was born in 1992, grew up watching Barry Bonds do things on a baseball field that most men aren’t capable of. Like many other children of the 1990s and 2000s, Pederson idolized Bonds.
Not anymore.
Bonds is working as a hitting coach with the Miami Marlins this season. When the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Marlins earlier this season, Pederson took the opportunity to introduce himself to Bonds before a game and tell the Home Run King* how much he enjoyed watching him play. Pederson also asked Bonds if the two could take a photo together, and Bonds inexplicably snubbed him.
.@yungjoc650 was a huge @BarryBonds fan until this happened. More tonight, 11:30et on @FS1.https://t.co/RloqCuqSVT
— FSLive: #JayAndDan (@foxsportslive) May 25, 2016
“I said, ‘Hey man you were my favorite player, can I get a picture?'” Pederson recalled in an appearance on FOX Sports 1. “He kind of just turned his back on me and big-leagued me.”
Pederson claims Bonds completely turned his back on him, and the outfielder stood there “awkwardly” for a few seconds before walking away “flustered.”
For some very obvious and other not-so-obvious reasons, Bonds is not the most likable guy in sports. That said, he has been kind to current players in the past (even this guy), so we’re not sure what the deal was with Pederson. It wasn’t like some crazed fan came up to Bonds at an inappropriate time. If Pederson’s story is accurate, that’s pretty rough.
H/T Big League Stew
