SF Giants News: Joc Pederson has exciting new side gig

Athletes are defined by more than just the sport they play and that is especially true in baseball. SF Giants power-hitting outfielder Joc Pederson will be trying something different by getting his feet wet in the American Cornhole League (ACL) on Friday.

SF Giants News: Joc Pederson has exciting new side gig

It is not unusual for baseball players to have a hobby on the side. Something they usually do in the offseason or in spring training. For example, Madison Bumgarner moonlighted as "Mason Saunders" in rodeo events for years. This felt like an open secret when it was revealed because both Bruce Bochy and Buster Posey did not sound surprised whatsoever.

Speaking of Posey, he was a spokesperson for Toyota for a long time. He and Bochy even teamed up for a memorable commercial when the latter stepped away from the game.

So, this is not unusual. ESPN will be hosting its first celebrity "Superhole" on Friday, February 10, 2023. The tournament will be similar to March Madness with the winning team moving forward. The teams are competing for a monetary donation to a charity of their choice.

Pederson will be joining forces with ACL pro, Jimmy McGuffin, to defeat former teammate Justin Turner and ACL pro, Damon Dennis. Turner and Pederson were teammates for the Los Angeles Dodgers for seven seasons beginning in 2014.

Pederson joined the Chicago Cubs after becoming a free agent following the 2020 season in which the Dodgers won the World Series. Oddly enough, Turner will be wearing a different uniform next year after deciding to join the Boston Red Sox. Turner had been with the Dodgers for nine seasons.

The winner of the matchup between Team Pederson and Team Turner will face off against the winner of the matchup between Tyler Lockett/Cheyenne Bubenheim and Ryan Fitzpatrick/Ryan Smith.

By itself, that bracket has a lot of Bay Area rivals with former Dodgers Pederson and Turner as well as Lockett, who is a receiver for the Seattle Seahawks. Of course, Giants fans know who to root for in these matchups.

Spring training is right around the corner. Pederson is pursuing a new technique to get his arm ready for the year. At the very least, a cornhole game with Pederson should be highly entertaining, so be sure to check out ESPN on Friday night!