ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Now 28 years old, Dustin Peterson has been around the block of the International League a time or two. Drafted out of high school in the 2nd Round back in 2013 by the Padres, he’s now in his 10th year playing professional baseball and his sixth year in the International League.
“I’ve got six years now in the International League,” Peterson says. “I know just about every door, every entrance to every stadium, every back drop, every train that rolls by, I’m used to it and I’ve embraced the lifestyle.”
Embracing the lifestyle has been critical for Peterson. Although a seasoned veteran in his second season with the IronPigs, he had been on and off the Development List for the start of the season, making playing time irregular. A change in mindset, specifically just having fun, has helped Peterson ride the wave.
“When I was taken out of the game in 2020 due to COVID, I really realized how fortunate I was to have a job in previous years. Then, getting back in to actually playing in 2021, you know one day could possibly be your last. So why should I be so stressed and trying super hard when I can just relax and have fun?”
For Peterson, this was a lessons learned with time. As his career has pressed up, the Phillies are the fourth organization he’s played for. He’s come to understand how fleeting the moments in this game can be and that success can be even harder to capture when you’re too caught up in the moment.
“When you relax and have fun you’re probably going to end playing even better anyways than the tense, try hard version. You’ve just got to appreciate the opportunity you have. Baseball doesn’t last forever so might well have some fun with it while you are still doing it. You could be on the Dev List one day and hitting three-hole the next, you know?”
One new piece of fun for Peterson and the IronPigs this season is the addition of their brand new homer celebration. Whenever someone hits a homer, when they return to the dugout they have a stuffed animal Pig hat (completely with flapping wings) that the home run hitter gets to wear. Peterson rocked his first homer of the year on May 2nd against Syracuse and was more than happy to get in on the celebration.
“I mean it’s pretty fitting, isn’t it? I think [Aramis] Garcia is the one who originally brought it. It’s fun, it’s a way to celebrate and something to have fun with. You always have to keep that spark around the game and the team going. We’re all just playing a game out here, so as much fun as we can have, the better everyone is going to play out here.”
Last year, Peterson settled in very quickly with the IronPigs after being traded early in the season from Milwaukee. In 102 games last year, Peterson hit .244 with nine homers and 47 RBI, while adding in 22 doubles and two triples. He was a key cog on an IronPigs team that finished above .500 for the first time since 2018.
Fun might not be a calculatable stat (yet), but Peterson might be atop the IronPigs leaderboard in it so far this season. It’s a mindset that has kept him fresh and ready to contribute whenever the situation arises this season.