Dan Norman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dan Norman |
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: January 11, 1955 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 27, 1977, for the New York Mets | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1982, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .227 | ||
| Home runs | 11 | ||
| Runs batted in | 37 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Daniel Edmund Norman, born on January 11, 1955, is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a right fielder for two big teams in Major League Baseball (MLB): the New York Mets and the Montreal Expos. Even though he started his professional journey with the Cincinnati Reds, he never got to play a major league game for them.
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Dan Norman's Early Baseball Career
After playing baseball in college, Dan Norman was chosen by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1974 draft. He was picked in the 15th round.
Playing for the Billings Mustangs
After signing with the Reds, Norman joined the Billings Mustangs. This team was part of the Pioneer Baseball League, which is a league for new players. One of his teammates was Steve Henderson, who was also a talented player. In 1974, Norman played 68 games for the Mustangs. He had a great batting average of .297.
Moving Up in the Minor Leagues
In 1975, Norman moved up to the Tampa Tarpons, another Reds team. He played 129 games and kept his batting average strong at .273.
The next year, 1976, Norman was promoted again. He joined the Trois-Rivières Aigles in the Eastern League. He played 134 games and had a batting average of .273, just like the year before.
The Midnight Massacre Trade
In 1977, Norman was playing for the Indianapolis Indians, the Reds' highest-level minor league team. On June 15, 1977, something big happened. Norman and Steve Henderson were traded from the Reds to the New York Mets. Two other players, Doug Flynn and Pat Zachry, were also part of the trade. In return, the Reds got a famous pitcher named Tom Seaver. Mets fans still remember this night as "The Midnight Massacre" because they lost two of their best players in trades.
Time with the New York Mets
Even though Steve Henderson went straight to the Mets' main team, Dan Norman was sent to the Tidewater Tides. This was the Mets' top minor league team.
Making His MLB Debut
Norman played 80 games for the Tides. He had a batting average of .264. Later that season, on September 27, 1977, Norman finally made his Major League Baseball debut with the Mets. He played against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In total, he played 7 games for the Mets in 1977. He got 4 hits in 16 tries, which is a .250 batting average.
Alternating Between Teams
For the 1978 and 1979 seasons, Norman played for both the Tidewater Tides and the New York Mets.
- In 1978, he played 19 games for the Mets. He hit his first Major League home run and had a batting average of .266.
- In 1979, he played 44 games with the Mets. His batting average was .245.
Norman's Full Season in MLB
The year 1980 was Norman's only full season playing in the Major Leagues. He played in 69 games for the Mets. However, his batting average was lower, at .185. He hit only 2 home runs. Because of this, he was sent back to the Tidewater Tides for the 1981 season.
On May 29, 1981, Norman was traded again. He and pitcher Jeff Reardon went to the Montreal Expos. In return, the Mets got Ellis Valentine.
Playing for the Montreal Expos
After the trade, Norman spent the rest of the 1981 season with the Denver Bears. This was the Montreal Expos' top minor league team. He played in 73 games for Denver. He hit 11 home runs and had a batting average of .272.
Final MLB Season
In 1982, Norman split his time between the Expos' main team and their new minor league team, the Wichita Aeros. He played in 53 games for the Expos. His batting average was .212. This was Dan Norman's last season in Major League Baseball. He continued to play in the minor leagues until 1987, ending his professional career when he was 32 years old.
