Harry How - Getty Images
almost 2 years ago: ANAHEIM CA - AUGUST 13: Peter Bourjos #25 of the Los Angeles Angels makes a diving catch for an out of Aaron Hill #2 of the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium on August 13 2010 in Anaheim California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
In 51 games played in 2010, Angels Center Fielder Peter Bourjos racked up 1.7 Wins Above Replacement on defense. How good is that? If he had accrued defensive WAR at that rate overan entire season, that 5.1 WAR would be the most in baseball history for a single season (WAR defensive measurements have been compiled with data for most games played in the majors since 1950 and all games played since 1974).
This sophisticated counting stat measures many defensive accomplishments involving range and execution. When it comes to the glove, Peter Bourjos is not good, he is great. With a flyball-heavy pitching staff, Bourjos showed us in 2010 what could be the difference in 2011: one glove.
In 51 games, Bourjos managed to rank 3rd in the American League in Defensive WAR. Juan Pierre led the league with 1.9 WAR... in 1,330 Innings in the field. Another way to put Bourjos' accomplishment into context: Jim Edmonds played over 4000 Innings in centerfield as an Angel. He accrued less than double the Defensive Wins Above Replacement in his Angels career as Peter Bourjos racked up in 449+ innings patrolling the same patch of grass in 2010.
Maybe it is an unsustainable rate of accruing defensive Wins Above Replacement, but if you believed your eyes in 2010 watching Gorgeous Bourjos putting gazelles out of the graceful business, for once the stat-core set backed up your observations: Not only was Peter Bourjos the Angels answer in Center, he got to balls at an historic clip.
For you franchise history buffs, Darin Erstad is the All Time Angels defensive WAR leader with 13.9 Wins Above Replacement on defense, and is also the single season leader, with 3.8 WAR with the glove in Centerfield in 2002. And a shout out to Quad Fin Rider, who sponsors PB's BB-Ref page.
1 recs | 33 comments
"...watching Gorgeous Bourjos putting gazelles out of the graceful business..."
So good!
LAASurfin - December 26, 2010
Once Kendry Morales went down Bourjos personally saved the baseball season for Angels fans.
That is as far as watching the games that were left of the season. He gave us something interesting to watch and worth tuning in for while the rest of the team pretty much went in the loo. I’m really looking forward to seeing how much better he gets over a full season. Hey, this is like getting another free agent!
44FAN - December 26, 2010
Is he also another big splash?
angelslogic - December 26, 2010
He's a splish splash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShGrtA17mSg
44FAN - December 26, 2010
what is this
an episode of Happy Days?
Rev Halofan - December 26, 2010
He's looking like the reason to watch in '11 as well.
Not much else to see here. Hopefully more Conger.
Monkeyspanked - December 27, 2010
Can Bourjos please
Be numbers 1-5 as well?
ryanfea - December 26, 2010
Can't wait for 10 months from now
when we’re all freaking out because Bourjos got robbed for the GG
2pintsofbooze - December 26, 2010
If that happens, then he would have had a helluva season.
sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher - December 26, 2010
Jeebus
Doesn’t Fleet Pete look a little like a young Ersty going for that ball up at the top photo?
A little like Dicar (Gary Dicarcina), too. In either case, it’s all good.
But I will take a little of that Ersty-style hitting this season—or even close.
Good choice for the picture, Rev, and good call on Pick #6.
(I’m guessing picking up Haren is in the Top 3, btw . . .)
Raaddad - December 26, 2010
Yes..
Fleet Feet Pete!, so let it be said, so let it be done!
NathanielS - December 26, 2010
Big Pete
Will win a gold glove in 2011 and hopefully in the future also.
Halo fann 2002 - December 26, 2010 via mobile
uh... for the next week
2011 IS the future
Rev Halofan - December 26, 2010
If he plays a full season in 2011,
and I hope he does, I guarantee a gold glove . . . that kid’s defensive ability is off the charts. If he can hit in the .260-.280 range, he is worth it!
AndyHogan14 - December 26, 2010
Let's not get too excited about young Bourjos.
We need to save the praise for the coming of the messiah, The Great Trout!
sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher - December 26, 2010
That thought alone, premature as it is, exposes the obsurdity of $142MM/7.
wumbug - December 27, 2010
Hunter leaves after 2012
We could have had Crawford-Bourjos-Trout from 2013-2017, which maybe would have been the best defensive outfield in the history of baseball.
mattwelch - December 27, 2010
that begs a couple of questions
like, what are the best in history? also, I get all the accoloades being heaped on young Trout, a 5-star athlete and all, but i haven’t seen his defensive side especially singled out – what do you have that Trout will be a huge defensive asset?
as a side note, I have a picture of what may be the greatest collection of O.F. arms at one time patrolling our Angel outfield – Mondesi, Guillen, and Vlad.
Rex Fregosi - December 27, 2010
Note that Prime 9 listed Vlad at #9 and Guillen at #4 (I think) when they rated their top 9 outfield arms.
red floyd - December 27, 2010
Mondesi had a gun too
I looked up the box score from the game I was at. It was also memorable because Vlad had 9 RBIs (a team record at the time till GA broke it 3 yrs later) and we also pounded Pedro and the Red Sux (6/2/04).
Rex Fregosi - December 27, 2010
6/2/04
was also lenticular cup night. I had freebies in F124, just above the Red Sox dugout. I made life HELL for Pedro Martinez that night, single handedly heckling like a mo-fo.
Downing Rules - December 30, 2010
Well SMALL SAMPLE SIZE as always
There is a reason this is number 6 and not number 1
Rev Halofan - December 27, 2010
Does defansive WAR include assists?
TheHeathen - December 27, 2010 via mobile
Yes
mattwelch - December 27, 2010
Before my computer crashed last month, I did a long bit of research on PB's WAR
Conclusion: No one in the history of the game has played better CF at a better rate over the course of a single season, in limited play or regular time. That’s kind of hard to digest.
Also, Ersty’s 3.8 isn’t just the most all-time by an Angel CFer, it’s the most all-time by a CFer, period. Also the 3rd-most at any position. Erstad is also tied for 13th-most, with 3.2 in 1999, which is all the more impressive since he split time between 1B and LF.
mattwelch - December 27, 2010
Matt, seeing as you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about these kind of things
Is there a way to find out how much WAR Torrii Hunter accrued after his switch to RF? I understand his defensive value (UZR) was positive, but I think it could be interesting to see how much more ‘valuable’ in saber terms Torrii was (or could be in 2011) with the addition of Peter Bourjos.
TheQuestforMerlin - December 27, 2010
I only use B-Ref WAR, which doesn't (AFIK) split out the value. Fangraphs (which is a different number) might
mattwelch - December 27, 2010
Torii
Was -10 in 98 games in center, and +4 in 46 games in right by BB-ref. If you assume his offense will be the same either place, you should be able to come up with a WAR estimate.
RallyMonkey5 - December 27, 2010
Your computer crashed?
Steve Jobs work is still not done…
Rev Halofan - December 27, 2010
Fun fact
Because I like to constantly impose real-life checks on these stats to see that they make sense:
Before Bourjos, the Angels played 107 games, and allowed 4.67 runs per game. In their last 55 games? 3.67 runs per game. It’s not all Bourjos – having Hunter displace Rivera in the OF, Haren on the mound, and some of the young guns like Walden, Kohn, and Thompson improving the bullpen helped too.
I really wish I had the same detail of stats available to measure the impact of Pettis, White, and even Erstad when they came up. Yes – they have a defensive WAR figure, but it’s more of a guestimation than what we have for current players.
RallyMonkey5 - December 27, 2010
too bad he wont qualify for ROY
autry's cowboys - December 27, 2010
Conger could...
Commander_Nate - December 27, 2010
Excellent piece and comments
I wasn’t aware how incredible a defensive impact he had and after reading this, hope that he starts in CF for a long time to come.
Along with a a ‘fly ball’ pitching staff, it is essential in Anaheim to have a solid, above average OF defense because of the dimensions, and we’ve had some good ones over the years and for most of the last few years, some mediocre ones. We won it all with Ersty in CF, and ruined a lot of promising future by trading away Devon White.
I’d hazard to guess there’d be somewhat a correlation between our OF defensive WAR and W-L record each year.
Rex Fregosi - December 27, 2010
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