Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock on D-backs home games: ‘Not many’ fans show up

Opening Day is still about two months away but the smack talk has already begun between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers.

During fan fest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday afternoon, outfielder Joc Pederson was commenting about Dodger fan attendance at other NL West ballparks, including Chase Field.

“We go to Arizona, which is in our division, and there’s more Dodger fans than Arizona fans,” Pederson told the crowd. “When we don’t play the Diamondbacks, I don’t know how many people go to the game.”

Former Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock, who signed a 5-year, $60 million contract with the Dodgers last offseason after being drafted by the Diamondbacks and spending the first seven years of his career in the desert, was sitting next to Pederson and added “not many.”

Here’s video of that exchange 🤣 pic.twitter.com/gr7Xa4Zrb5

— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) January 25, 2020

Throughout Pollock’s time with the Diamondbacks, fan attendance ranked in the lower third of MLB. The best in Pollock’s tenure with the club was his final year of 2018 when the Diamondbacks had the 16th highest attendance in MLB coming off of a surprise playoff appearance.

Things haven’t been exactly peachy between Pollock and his former team since leaving the Diamondbacks for Los Angeles.

During a game at Dodger Stadium between the two clubs on Aug. 9, Pollock was called out on a foul ball in the 11th inning down by one run.

Pollock argued the ball hit his hand.

Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley told Pollock to leave the field after he took his time walking back to the dugout, continuing to show the umpire his wrist along the way.

This riled up the Dodgers’ bench and caused the benches to clear after the final out was recorded.

2019 was another injury-plagued year for Pollock, just turning in 86 games. He’s only played in at least 140 games once during his career, in 2015 when he made his only all-star game.

He hit .266 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs last season.

Pollock didn’t provide much for his new team during the Dodgers’ National League Division Series loss to the Washington Nationals, going 0 for 13 at the plate with 11 strikeouts.

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