Daniel Norris: One of a Kind

[TwistedLogic]

http://i.gyazo.com/d235675652af15c356281999bfa71211.png

http://i.gyazo.com/6cc5f2c9424cd7f32ecfd2ca629c650e.png

 

By Gemma Kalenko

 

Sure, Ryan Dempster can talk the Chris Farley talk, but can he

actually walk the walk? Blue Jays prospect Daniel Norris, unlike

Dempster, actually lives in a van that could certainly be described

as "down by the river."

 

But his van (named Shaggy, in case you were wondering)

doesn't stay in one place. According to MiLB.com's Josh

Jackson:

 

http://i.gyazo.com/d4767e660d80ef20b2909e0e4b27df4b.png

 

So… what do other people think of this?

 

http://i.gyazo.com/074e918aead6af983d47529811c676b4.png

 

Want to know more? So do we. Here are the four most fascinating

facts about MLB.com's no. 25 overall prospect/your new best friend:

 

1. He'll cook you dinner.

 

He makes his coffee in a French press every morning and he

prepares his meals on a camp stove. Even if the food is less

than Michelin-starred, eating it is probably a great experience:

2. He'll teach you how to surf.

 

Norris picked up surfing during his time in the Minors, and he

wants to spread the word of the wave:

 

http://i.gyazo.com/e02ccd520d675c3ebd9e920346cb5a80.png

 

3. He's an artist.

 

Most of us are happy to drink out of novelty coffee mugs we got

from an office Secret Santa. Not Norris. In an interview with

London Red Magazine, he described his favorite drinking vessel:

 

http://i.gyazo.com/a458edf282822ab74695fb907e50b522.png

 

4. He's a model.

 

We know you saw that beard and thought, wow, that guy should

model. A men's clothing and outdoor goods shop in Tennessee

agreed with you and brought him in for a shoot:

5. He dreams of meeting Jack Johnson.

 

When asked to describe his perfect day, Norris imagines getting

his van to Hawaii "somehow" and spending time with his favorite

musician:

 

http://i.gyazo.com/8395a61a26395bdb8b0d4af67b0fde11.png

 

He should just follow his own advice. "London" asked him what

he'd tell young dreamers to do, and he kept his answer simple:

 

http://i.gyazo.com/97a9e2bf4c8f2d1859eb2d86a2d6169a.png

 

Follow it all the way through this thing we call #vanlife:

[LongTimeReader]

Totally freaking awesome.

[TwistedLogic]

Oh, and he also does this:

 

[Laika]

He can hang curveballs? Cool

[TwistedLogic]

He can hang curveballs? Cool

 

Fooled Ortiz. And he threw it almost exactly where Navarro asked for it That was the first batter he faced in his major league career too.

 

He actually talked about it later, saying that he wouldn't have thrown a curveball in that situation himself, and found it funny that Navarro asked for one.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/26271672/v37131577/mlb-rookie-prg-daniel-norris-tor-lhp/?c_id=mlb

[LongTimeReader]

Fooled Ortiz. And he threw it almost exactly where Navarro asked for it That was the first batter he faced in his major league career too.

 

He actually talked about it later, saying that he wouldn't have thrown a curveball in that situation himself, and found it funny that Navarro asked for one.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/26271672/v37131577/mlb-rookie-prg-daniel-norris-tor-lhp/?c_id=mlb

 

The location was perfect, and the fact that it hanged a little made it even better else it might have ended up closer to the middle of the plate.

[Jimcanuck]

Oh, and he also does this:

 

 

look at all the movement by Navarro as Norris goes through his windup.... shouldn't he be offering a stable target?

[LongTimeReader]

look at all the movement by Navarro as Norris goes through his windup.... shouldn't he be offering a stable target?

 

You're stretching, he barely moved the glove position until the ball was released

[baubau]

Love that he starts walking off the field before its even called a strike. Like, "Yeah, I got this."

[Jimcanuck]

You're stretching, he barely moved the glove position until the ball was released

 

I'm talking about the little jump and reset. Carter and Bench moved very little once the pitcher got set.

[TwistedLogic]

Love that he starts walking off the field before its even called a strike. Like, "Yeah, I got this."

 

That threw me off when I first saw it too, lol. That was the first batter of his MLB career, and he walked off the mound before the call against a guy like Ortiz. I would have been pissed if I was a Sox fan if I saw that, haha.

 

 

look at all the movement by Navarro as Norris goes through his windup.... shouldn't he be offering a stable target?

 

No, I think it's normal for catchers to reset throughout the wind-up.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v36766239/ladstl-gm3-molina-wants-one-down-and-in/?query=yadier+molina

 

And did you compare Dioner Navarro to Gary Carter and Johnny Bench? lol

[Jimcanuck]

And did you compare Dioner Navarro to Gary Carter and Johnny Bench? lol

 

yes but not favourably

[Laika]

Guys, Navarro set up down the middle because he had no idea where the kid's curveball would go. He probably didn't even have a location in mind.

 

The pitch was garbage. You hangy, Ortiz bangy almost every time, unless he's literally never seen you before.

 

Give Navarro 100% of the credit for that K for simply calling the correct pitch type.

[Laika]

Watch more baseball.

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Norris is one of a Kind! New space man comith! Silver sufer, dude!

[LunchBox]

Cool lifestyle but I'm legitimately concerned that his left-arm is going to be bitten off by a shark or he's going to be in a horrible vanhouse accident without any modern automotive safety measures.

[HERPDERP]

handsome Jake got nothin on him

[NorthOf49]

Daniel Norris is just the best. What a guy.

[Atothe]

A lot of romanticizing going on here smh

[LunchBox]

I'm more concerned about his right hand in that picture. It doesn't make for good optics when combined with the pervy beard, and the pervy micro bus.

 

Bespectacled Bearded Beret-wearing Bus-Driving Ballplayer might as well be:

 

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8tuzs27Ut1qhkufzo1_500.gif

[BTS]

I really can't abide a hipster on that level.

[KingKat]

I really can't abide a hipster on that level.

 

You're far too young to act so old.

[Brownie19]

I love how quiet and repeatable his motion is...he certainly passes the eye test...I expect him to have a major impact this coming season

[TwistedLogic]

I love how quiet and repeatable his motion is...he certainly passes the eye test...I expect him to have a major impact this coming season

 

Yeah, it's so damn smooth. I've been a massive supporter of his since the day he was drafted so his resurgence last year was a big deal to me, and it makes me almost giddy with how close he is. Between Stroman, Norris and Hoffman, I feel really optimistic about the Jays pitching of the future.

[King]

Yeah, it's so damn smooth. I've been a massive supporter of his since the day he was drafted so his resurgence last year was a big deal to me, and it makes me almost giddy with how close he is. Between Stroman, Norris and Hoffman, I feel really optimistic about the Jays pitching of the future.

 

Castro, Osuna?

[GD]

Yeah, it's so damn smooth. I've been a massive supporter of his since the day he was drafted so his resurgence last year was a big deal to me, and it makes me almost giddy with how close he is. Between Stroman, Norris and Hoffman, I feel really optimistic about the Jays pitching of the future.

 

Hutchison Osuna and Castro dumnie

[GD]

Castro, Osuna?

 

Everyone sleeping on Hutch now for some reason?

[Dr. Dinger]

Hold up, I thought he was a staunch Christian? Now I don't know what to think.

 

Except that I'm a lot older than him and can't grow a beard half that good.

[TwistedLogic]

Hutchison Osuna and Castro dumnie

They're all great, I was just naming the three I'm most optimistic about that had the one thing in common in that I've been following them and begging for them to succeed since before each of their respective drafts. Although Osuna is the closest IFA to that group for me; I remember checking out every Yankees forum that week because of how stoked I was that we signed him, and how many Yankees fans were upset that they hadn't.

 

I love Hutch, Castro, etc, but I'd be lying if I said I ever thought they'd on the trajectories that they're on. Hell, I wasn't all that optimistic for Hutch even going into his debut, despite how much he'd torn up the minors prior to being called up.

[Captain Adama]

I remember the good old days when Greenwood would s*** on him on a semi-regular basis.

 

Dinger, no need to worry about that so far I've never seen him gone on a religious tirade. If he's anti-anything, at least he keeps that s*** to himself. Most importantly he's good at baseball, what a guy does with himself in his spare time is usually all good.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Captain Adama