Bourjos, a scout's son, aims to latch on with Phillies
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Peter Bourjos would stuff his baseball bat into his father's oversize luggage bag, fitting it in sideways as they packed for their summer trips.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Peter Bourjos would stuff his baseball bat into his father's oversize luggage bag, fitting it in sideways as they packed for their summer trips.
Bourjos - who joined the Phillies this offseason - latched on a few times each summer as his father, Chris, scouted major-league teams on the West Coast. The father and son would fill extra pairs of shoes with baseballs before flying to cities like Denver and Los Angeles.
"We would always find a place to hit wherever we went," Chris Bourjos said. "That was probably the only way I could get him to come, if he could get on a baseball field so we would do that during the day. We had some good times."
Chris Bourjos worked for Toronto, Milwaukee, and Baltimore before moving to his current scouting job with San Diego in 2012. He was the Blue Jays' area scout - along with part-time scout Bus Campbell - who signed Roy Halladay in 1995.
Bourjos would save his frequent flier miles for his son, allowing them to spend time together over the summer. At the ballpark, Peter Bourjos would sit behind home plate and watch his father work alongside the other scouts. His father said he could tell that Bourjos loved to watch the game.
"It was pretty cool," Peter Bourjos said. "You get to hear scouts talk about certain players and situations in a game. And it's a great view to see everything that's going on."
Peter Bourjos reached the majors in 2010, filling scouting reports with his elite outfield work. His father would refuse to file a report on his son if he was assigned one of his games. Last season proved to be a challenge for Bourjos as he moved into a reserve role with St. Louis.
He batted .200 in 195 at-bats. Bourjos started just three times after July 28. The Phillies claimed him off waivers in December. Bourjos had never played a season with such an inconsistent role. Most of his at-bats in the second half came in the later innings, often against closers or setup men. His father often tells him, "It's a tough game, Pete."
The Phillies plan to move Bourjos, 28, from center field - his only position in the majors - to either left or right field. Bourjos already has started practicing in the corner position, studying how the ball can play differently off the outfield walls. The Phillies hope a return to consistent playing time can spike Bourjos' production.
"He's a line-drive hitter that should use the whole field and utilize the bunt for a base hit," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We're going to try to get him to be the hitter that he needs to be."
Chris Bourjos spent 38 days in the big leagues, and he's proud of it. This winter, he told his son - who is entering his seventh season - to relax and enjoy what he has accomplished. And who knows, the father said, you might accomplish more.
The baseball dream started with those road trips. Peter Bourjos said he grew up in a baseball family. His parents met when his father was still a player. It was always baseball, Bourjos said.
"It was like I created a monster," Chris Bourjos said. "He wanted to be what he wanted to be. And he wanted to be a baseball player. To play in the big leagues is a dream for every kid. We're so proud of him."
@matt_breen