Nice little article on Norris.
As Lansing left-hander Daniel Norris took his first steps off the mound in Dayton after giving up six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings, he was already searching for a solution.
The 20-year-old walked into the dugout, grabbed the rail and started to cheer on his teammates -- no glove thrown, no stomping into the clubhouse, no time to feel sorry for himself.
"It was a defining moment," said Norris, a second-round pick in 2011 out of high school and the No. 3 prospect in the Toronto system. "The very next day ... pitching coach [Vince Horsman] said, 'I don't know any other lefties who throw 95 and get tagged for six runs in one inning. Pitchers get hit around, but you're too good for that.' That really hit home. I credit Vince for helping me turn things around."
A 6-foot-2, 180-pound native of Johnson City, Tenn., Norris was 0-3 with a 10.75 ERA through his first seven games this season. He struck out 16 batters and walked 13 while giving up 28 runs in 22 1/3 innings.
In three starts since the Dayton debacle on May 8, Norris has yielded one run in 12 innings, allowing seven hits while striking out 22 and walking eight.
"All I told Danny was, 'You're a left-hander and you've got good stuff. Go out there with that belief in yourself and let's see what happens. Be aggressive and attack the hitters.'" Horsman said. "He's changed his approach. I don't want to say he was waiting for something bad to happen, but now he's not waiting. He's going after batters."
"I think Danny is just realizing that he has the ability and talent to be successful, and he's letting that talent come forth. He's pitching aggressively. Before I think there was a little doubt, and the pressure that comes with being a very high pick. I think he realizes it's still just baseball. 'If I go out there and make good pitches, I have a chance.' And that's what he's done."
Norris said his changes have been to his mentality, not his mechanics. He's pitching with more confidence, trusting his pitching arsenal, and going after hitters. It's a reversal from last season as well, when he went 2-4 with an 8.44 ERA in 13 games between Bluefield and Vancouver in his first taste of pro ball.
"It was frustrating," Norris said of his poor start to 2013. "Last year kind of went the same way. I didn't have a great year, so I think God put that on my plate to help me deal with adversity. I know how to deal with a bad outing. The next day, I'm ready to work and get better. If you stay hungry and come every day ready to work and get better, good things are going to happen. There are still going to be bad outings, but I know how to deal with adversity and I feel confident in myself.
"I wouldn't say I'm figuring out batters. I'd say I'm figuring out myself.