Daniel Norris heads back to the dugout Wednesday night after a memorably successful first major league at-bat.
Nice first major league turn at the plate, kid. Glad you came aboard exactly three weeks ago.
Major League rookie Daniel Norris, the 22-year-old starting pitcher Wednesday night for the Tigers at Wrigley Field, earns cheers, smiles and superlatives after a powerful at-bat debut.
Here's how Greg Garno tells it at MLB.com:
The Tigers thought they might have lost some power in their lineup without a designated hitter while they play the Cubs. Starter Daniel Norris is proving they might have gained some, though.
In his first career professional at-bat, Norris connected on a two-run home run to center field in the second inning Wednesday night off Chicago's Jon Lester, traveling an estimated 419 feet. . . .
"For a guy who hasn't hit since high school, he has a pretty good swing," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said before Tuesday's game. . . . "He does have a little bit of power and a pretty good swing." . . .
Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade on July 30, Norris had not had an at-bat in any of his 63 minor league games or four contests in the majors
Daniel Norris, 22, joined the team three weeks ago today.
A "pretty good swing," indeed. In addition to getting a hit in his first major league at-bat, here are four other distinctions about what the left-handed newcomer pulled off:
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He's the first Tigers pitcher to homer since Jason Johnson did so on June 8, 2005.
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He's the first American League pitcher to hit a regular-season homer at Wrigley.
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He's the first rookie pitcher to homer in his first career plate appearance since Washington's Tommy Milone did so in 2011. Tampa Bay's Esteban Yan was the last American League pitcher to homer in his plate debut, in 2000.
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"First time he's a household name for something other than his van," WXYZ sports reporter Brad Galli tweets.
The Tigers ended up winning in a slugfest, 15-8.
The downside: Norris had to come out of the game in the fifth inning when he came up grimacing after a pitch, which turned out to be from a right oblique shoulder muscle strain.
Earlier article:
Baseball Is Like Surfing for Tigers' New Pitcher, Dan Norris: '100% Concentration,' July 31
