Harry How - Getty Images
On August 3, Peter Bourjos made his major league debut for the Angels in Centerfield. But the big story was that Torii Hunter had acquiesced his position without a star tantrum. Hunter moved to Right Field and acknowledged that the goal was to win games and that Bourjos in the field and Hunter's glove in RF was the best combination to make that happen.
As I Stated in my Bourjos Promotion Highlights Outfield Woes essay then on SBNLA:
The club addressed it by moving Torii Hunter to right field, and his cooperation and public taking of Bourjos under his wing makes him the hero in this saga and will most definitely improve the defense for the Angels this year and next. Allowing Peter Bourjos to get 150-200 plate appearances in the big leagues will hopefully pay off in 2011.
Angels fans can take pride in Torii's shelving the ego. And to those who would dismiss it, think about how great Yankees pitching would be with the simple addition of a defensively league average Short Stop had Derek Jeter understood that his moving to Left Field would make his team better overall.
Halos Heaven had the news of the callup in a FanPost by angelsx3714: Peter Bourjos Called Up
This is the first of our countdown over the next ten days of the Angels Top Ten Moments of 2010.
0 recs | 18 comments
Torii is pro...........that is all.
If there was a picture definition of “team player” it would a big ole photo of Torii.
norcaliangelsfan - December 23, 2010
wonder
what the other 9 days will be?
migfig - December 23, 2010
Crazy... a player doing what his manager tells him.
Commence hero-worship.
clover_black - December 23, 2010
Wasn't it torii's idea for him to play right?
I could be wrong but I thought I remember hearing that
Sorbo182 - December 24, 2010 via mobile
mm.
no im pretty sure he was asked.but he was really cool with it so im not sure
migfig - December 24, 2010
Oh ok yeah that sounds more familiar
It is nice to see a high caliber player give up the position he had won numerous gold gloves at so easily and to mentor the guy who took the position. Torii for president.
Sorbo182 - December 24, 2010 via mobile
I remember bourjos
Expecting to play right, and Torii confronting him and being like “Have fun in center tonight!”
Figgi4life - December 24, 2010 via mobile
If Bourjos
taking center and Torii taking right is a top 10 moment…. thats sad. What’s the other 9?
Kody M - December 23, 2010
great move
DAD OF VLAD - December 23, 2010
This was one of the only happy days around here
In the second half of the season
ryanfea - December 23, 2010
When the Angels were essentially out of it in the last two months
My reason for watching consisted of:
1) Jered Weaver starts
2) Dan Haren starts
3) Seeing promising young talent in Bourjos, Walden, Kohn, and Thompson.
4) Hoping for Angels to have a protected pick while still winning games, somehow
Slyintine - December 23, 2010
Agree
Same exact reasons too.
migfig - December 24, 2010
Unless this is a parody.....
“Employee follows the direction of management” making any year-in-review highlights is sad. If nothing else, this totally sums up the Angels 2010 season and 2011 offseason (thus far).
mustard_man - December 24, 2010
have some faith!!
you guys need to trust in our boy Scioscia!! haha
sunsforlife34 - December 24, 2010
I can't wait for Torii's winning, team-first attitude to process his new inability to steal third base
Torii makes me conflicted. He’s obviously awesome, and absorbs so much of the media pressure there (while clearly enjoying it), and has hit better than any living human being predicted for 3/5s of his so-far-perfectly-justifiable contract, and handled this Bourjos transfer with absolute class. And yet he was downright awful on the base paths last year, forgets to run out way too many groundballs for a guy of his rep, and there’s the nagging suspicion (in my brain anyway) that his outsized personality either lets him get away with stuff or funnels too much credit in his direction that should rightly go elsewhere.
Regardless, he was great about this.
mattwelch - December 24, 2010
When I was comparing Beltre and Torii
Matching up their career numbers, Torii has a ridiculous lead over Beltre in two categories: SB and CS.
Rev Halofan - December 24, 2010
Is this countdown going to make me cry?
hauldog - December 24, 2010
It's supposed to cheer you up
ryanfea - December 24, 2010
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