It seems like things are finally starting to click for Joc Pederson and the Cubs after the left fielder moved on from the Dodgers this offseason. He finally hit his first homer with his new team on Wednesday and he was thrilled about it.
It was a timely one, too. It came in the 8th inning when the Cubs were down 1-0 to the Brewers. With the way Pederson walked the bases, you could tell he was excited about hitting his first home run for Chicago.
It was a straight-up bomb. The Cubs ended up losing the game 4-2, but it was still good to see Pederson getting one over the wall finally.
Welcome to Chicago, Joc Pederson. (🎥: @cubs) pic.twitter.com/F3duhMWAY1
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) April 7, 2021
But the real kicker here was the gift that the Cubs gave him after he hit it. He got a new waffle iron when he hit the dugout. Yes, really. That happened. And he was clearly, he was thrilled about it.
Joc Pederson hits his first #Cubs home run and — following a custom as old as the game itself — is rewarded with a new waffle iron. pic.twitter.com/6V6Dy4WzLX
— Steve Greenberg (@SLGreenberg) April 7, 2021
That’s wild, right? That’s such a random gift. But when you actually figure out the reasoning behind it, it makes a bit more sense. This was all part of a plan to get Pederson out of his slump, per CBS Sports.
In baseball, “waffling” is a good thing. It means you’ve made good contact with a pitch. And for the last few years, Pederson’s teammate Ian Happ has been bringing waffle irons to games to celebrate.
It worked for Pederson.
“It was huge. Grinded a little bit to start the season, just to kind of get the first one, especially in front of the fans and whatnot. I think it’s a little bit more added pressure than normal. Yeah, it was a big relief,” Pederson said.Â
Hopefully, for the Cubs, there are a lot more waffle irons to pass out soon.
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