Pederson pledges to avoid distractions
MIAMI — When Joc Pederson explained his side of the Tommy Pham quarrel in the past week, he repeatedly mentioned he didn’t want to be a distraction and that if the episode detracted from the San Francisco Giants’ daily mission, “that makes me feel really bad.”
Thursday, the Giants’ left fielder elaborated on the importance of avoiding disturbances that could alter the team’s focus.
“Yeah, you want the least amount of distractions as possible,” Pederson said before the Giants-Marlins opener. “The common goal is to win a World Series, so you want all the BS to be on the side so that everyone shows up with that one goal of winning the ballgame that day. It’s easier said than done, but the last thing you want to do is be a distraction.”
The day Pham slapped Pederson, hours before the roadtrip opener in Cincinnati, the Giants lost to the Reds. The story carried over to the next day, and the Giants lost that game, too.
That’s not to say the Giants would have won those games without the Pederson-Pham flap, but Pederson’s point is that over a long season, for a team with postseason desires, distractions should be minimized.
Pederson knows all about runs to October. He appeared in the playoffs in each of the past seven years and played in four World Series, winning two of them, one as a Dodger, one as a Brave.
“The teams that win in the playoffs are close-knit groups of guys that don’t get distracted and are able to get knocked down and stay together and know they can trust the person behind them to make the play,” Pederson said. “I feel we’re training to win a World Series instead of training to win the division. You don’t need to win a division to win the World Series.
“When the game’s on the line, it’s about keeping your composure and executing, and that takes mental focus every day.”
Pederson, who was familiar with Farhan Zaidi and Gabe Kapler from their days together with the Dodgers, signed with the Giants for one year and $6 million. He played for other analytics-driven organizations but says of his new team, “I think we put a lot more focus into the mental aspect.”
On the field or off ? “It’s all related,” said Pederson, who summed up his first couple of months thusly: “Great group of guys, super welcoming, super forward-thinking, understanding my skill set and how to use it best and understanding my mental approach to the game to get to a good mental place whether the results are there or not there yet.”
Briefly:
Shortstop Brandon Crawford was a late scratch because he was ill. Kapler said Pederson and Wilmer Flores had similar cold-like symptoms in recent days. Donovan Walton moved from second to short, and Thairo Estrada was inserted into the lineup at second. ... Austin Slater (wrist) was eligible to come off the injured list Thursday and might be activated Friday . ... Brandon Belt (knee), who’s also eligible, is not with the team in Florida. ... Evan Longoria (shoulder) took grounders before the game without making throws.