A few years ago Joc Pederson took the Major Leagues by storm. But Joc isn’t the only Pederson who balls. Meet Tyger, Joc’s brother who has plenty of game himself. While he might not be in the Bigs, he is certainly placing his stamp on the game of baseball.
1) Tell TGR a little bit about yourself?
My name is Tyger Pederson. I grew up in Palo Alto California and have been playing sports my entire life. I attended Palo Alto high school where I participated in basketball, football and baseball. After high school I attended Redlands university in Los Angeles. I played football and baseball my freshman year. After the season I transferred to university of the pacific where I decided to focus on baseball. I earned a Bachelors of Arts in sports science form UOP while competing as a student athlete.
In 2013 I was drafted by the Los Angeles dodgers and began my professional playing career. I played 4 seasons of minor league baseball before turning in my jersey for a coaching uniform. Over my professional career I played for the Los Angeles dodgers, Rockford aviators, San Rafael Pacifics and the Vallejo Admirals. This past summer when I finished playing I started my coaching career with Major League Baseball. I coached at the Elite International Camp in Taiwan. After finishing the elite camp I decided to pursue coaching and furthering my education at Hawaii Pacific University. This year at HPU I am a graduate assistant coach. I am pursuing a masters in elementary education while coaching the baseball team. This summer I will be the head coach of the Orange County Riptide, a summer collegiate team comprised of players from all over the country. I am very excited for this opportunity to be a head coach and coach elite players from all over. Our teams home field will be at Concordia University in Orange County, California.
2) You have started your own company; does that mean you have retired from professional baseball?
Besides coaching and playing I have a passion for developing players. In 2013 I started a baseball training business Backyard baseball, which has recently taken the name Pederson Baseball. I train elite athletes all the way down to youth. Over the years I have ran baseball clinics and camps for local little leagues and pony leagues. I started expanding to run clinics and camps all over California and have a vision to provide camps and clinics nation wide down the road. My goal is to provide professional coaching to teach players how to play the game the right way. I believe there is so much to learn through the game of baseball and that carries over into other aspects of life. I like to teach life lessons through the game. How to deal with adversity, confidence building, how to prepare, mental aspects and others.
Along with clinics and camps I coach travel teams, help with local rec teams, offer private and group training and fitness training. I like to consider myself a resource for my players. I want them to be able to come to me for anything and everything they might need. I help them with the recruiting process at the collegiate level, and how to handle professional scouts. We goal plan and customize training programs specific for each players goals and needs.
3) Your family has a deep history with Baseball. What was that like in the Pederson home?
Growing up we were always around the game of baseball. My dad Stu played 13 years professionally and has coached ever since. My siblings and I have been to thousands of games. When we were younger we were always the bat boy and hanging out in the dugout while our dad coached. When we were old enough to play he always coached our teams. Every day at lunch I remember going to the batting cages to take batting practice during high school.
4) How competitive were you and Joc growing up?
Growing up Joc and I were very competitive. We were always competing in one sport or the other. We played on lots of teams together and always pushed each other to be our best! Our dad always encouraged healthy competition and pushed us to be the best players we could be.
5) Have you attempted to play for Team Israel like your brother? I see you are involved with the URJ Sports Camp; what has that been like?
Team Israel recruited Joc and I to play on the team. In 2013 Joc played and I was just starting my professional career so I did not participate. This season I opted for coaching so I did not participate with Team Israel. I hope to be involved at some capacity moving forward with Team Israel. I have a few good friends who really have enjoyed the experience coaching or playing for the team. I look forward to future experiences with team Israel! I was the head coach at URJ sports camp in LA this year. It was a great experience for me to continue to learn about the Jewish culture and mentor young Jewish athletes. It was an awesome experience, and I see myself continuing to help at URJ camps down the road.
6) Tell us about your new company and what its all about?
Pederson Baseball is about developing athletes on and off the field. My goal is to provide professional coaching and to be a positive resource for any player wanting to play the game of baseball. Whether your goal is to play in the big leagues or make your high school team, I am here to help you reach those goals. I love the interactions I have with players and knowing I can help make a positive impact on their life. I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and experiences to other players who are passionate about baseball. I think of Pederson Baseball as a tool for all players to grow in the game of baseball and in life. I have training programs currently in the Bay Area as well as Los Angeles and will be expanding down to Orange County this summer.
7) What’s next for you?
I train players from all over and am always open to running baseball camps and clinics in new locations. Get in contact with me to schedule a clinic/camp in your city. My website is www.pedersonbaseball.com
You can find Tyger on Instagram @Tygerpederson
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