Dodgers: Joc Pederson Doubles Down on His Astros Slander
Joc Pederson made his scheduled press conference with the media from a room in Houston today. In a world of social distancing, Dodgers players meeting with media members looks a whole lot different in 2020.
Speaking candidly, Joc was asked several times if he would talk about what it was like being in Houston. What started out as a hesitancy to say anything too aggressive ended with Joc firing another shot at Astros, and we love it. The Dodgers outfielder only needed one little sentence to get to the heart of how he really feels.
Joc doesn't think that any less games takes away from the value of a World Series, shouldn't be an asterisk. Playoff time will be just as intense.
"I mean, they're not cheating their way to get there so…"
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) July 28, 2020
The question was asked about whether he felt the potential for fewer games would take away from a championship. The Dodgers slugger didn’t feel like it should take away from it at all. And he also felt that it certainly shouldn’t have an asterisk next to it in the record books.
When he talks about cheating, Pederson is, of course, referring to the Astros’ 2017 campaign. Houston got caught using video cameras and monitors to steal signs for the last few years. For Joc, it’s the second jab he’s taken at Houston in as many days. He also used the Dodgers Instagram story to subtly hint at…something.
While other players have not been vocal about the Astros coming into the series, Joc has. And that’s probably reasonable, given that the Astros also likely took a 2017 World Series MVP from him. But the Dodgers have the opportunity to go into Houston and take two wins.
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Uh, slander is defined as “the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation.” What is false about the Astros cheating in 2017 on the way to a championship? Seems to me that has been pretty well established and, therefore, Pederson is not committing “slander.” Courts almost always determine that no “slander” has occurred if the person’s “reputation” is damaged before the “slander.” Joc is only “piling on” in this case.