Dodgers honor Pederson with ring ceremony in return to LA originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Joctober is celebrated in June.
Joc Pederson returned to Dodger Stadium on Thursday for the first time since signing with the Cubs over the winter. To commemorate his homecoming, the Dodgers presented Pederson with his 2020 World Series ring.
Pederson spent his first seven seasons with the Dodgers, make three trips to the World Series. Los Angeles felt short in 2017 and ’18 before finally climbing the mountain in 2020.
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But, due to COVID-19, Pederson didn’t get a chance to celebrate last season’s championship with Dodgers fans, something he looked forward to before Thursday's game.
“They were there along the way,” Pederson said. “It’s something that should be celebrated with them.”
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The 29-year-old came up big for the Dodgers in the postseason, fittingly earning that “Joctober" nickname. In 64 postseason games from 2015-20, he hit .272/.349/.503 with nine home runs.
Look no further than the reception Dodgers fans gave Pederson to understand the impact he made in Los Angeles.
“He’s been around a lot of winning,” manager David Ross said. “He’s got a lot of friends here, he’s got a lot of coaches, people he’s got real relationships with.
“I’m excited for him to get the moment. It’s special. You want to win, but that hardware kind of finalizes it a little bit. It’ll be nice for him to get that ring.”
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