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 January 11, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a right fielder for two teams in Major League Baseball (MLB): the New York Mets and the Montreal Expos. Before reaching the big leagues, Dan started his professional career with the Cincinnati Reds organization. However, he never played a major league game for the Reds.
Starting with the Cincinnati Reds
After playing baseball at Barstow College, Dan Norman was chosen by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1974 amateur draft. He was the 357th player picked overall.
Once he signed with the Reds, Dan joined the Billings Mustangs. This team was part of the Pioneer Baseball League, which is a "rookie league" for new players. One of his teammates was Steve Henderson. Their careers often crossed paths. In 1974, Dan played 68 games for the Mustangs. He had a good batting average of .297. This means he got a hit almost 3 out of every 10 times he tried.
In 1975, Dan moved up to the Reds' Class A team, the Tampa Tarpons. He played 129 games there, again with Steve Henderson. His batting average was .273.
The next year, 1976, Dan was promoted to the Reds' Class AA team, the Trois-Rivières Aigles. He played 134 games, still alongside Henderson. His batting average stayed at .273.
This strong performance helped Dan get promoted again in 1977. He moved to the Reds' AAA team, the Indianapolis Indians. He played 60 games for the Indians, once more with Henderson.
On June 15, 1977, something big happened. Dan 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 received star pitcher Tom Seaver. Mets fans remember this night as "The Midnight Massacre." They were sad to lose their famous pitcher, Seaver.
Playing for the New York Mets
Even though Steve Henderson went straight to the Mets' main team, Dan Norman was sent to their AAA team. This team was the Tidewater Tides of the International League. Dan played 80 games for the Tides.
Later that season, Dan was called up to the Mets. He made his first Major League game on September 27, 1977. 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.
In 1978 and 1979, Dan spent his time moving between the Tidewater Tides and the Mets. In 1978, he played 19 games for the Mets. He hit his very first Major League Home run that year! In 1979, he played 44 games with the Mets.
The year 1980 was Dan'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.
Dan played 40 games for Tidewater in 1981. On May 29, 1981, he was traded again. This time, he and pitcher Jeff Reardon went to the Montreal Expos. In exchange, the Mets got right fielder Ellis Valentine.
Time with the Montreal Expos
After the trade, Dan Norman played for the Montreal Expos' AAA team. This team was the Denver Bears of the American Association. He played in 73 games for Denver and hit 11 home runs. His batting average was .272.
In 1982, Dan split his time between the Expos' Major League team and their new AAA team, the Wichita Aeros. He played in 53 games for the Expos. His batting average was .212. This was Dan's last season playing in the Major Leagues.
After 1982, Dan continued to play in the minor leagues. He played until the 1987 season, finishing his professional career at age 32.
