Norris Hopper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Norris Hopper |
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Hopper with the Cincinnati Reds
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: March 24, 1979 Shelby, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 20, 2006, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 1, 2008, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .316 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 20 | ||
| Stolen bases | 17 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Norris Stephen Hopper (born March 24, 1979) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for three seasons.
Hopper was chosen by the Kansas City Royals in the 1998 MLB draft. He made his first MLB appearance on August 20, 2006, with the Cincinnati Reds. During his time in the major leagues, he had a .316 batting average. He also got 125 hits, 15 doubles, two triples, one home run, 20 runs batted in, and 17 stolen bases.
Norris Hopper was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 205 pounds. He played all three outfield spots for the Reds. He was a very good defender. He made only one error in his entire career. This gave him a .996 fielding percentage. Even though he didn't hit many home runs, he was good at hitting the ball. This helped him use his speed to get on base. He could hit singles or even bunt for a base hit.
Before playing in MLB, Hopper spent 13 seasons in Minor League Baseball (MiLB). In the minor leagues, he had a .289 batting average. He collected 1,237 hits, 119 doubles, 32 triples, three home runs, 368 runs batted in, and 237 stolen bases.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Norris Hopper was born in Shelby, NC. He went to Shelby High School. There, he played two sports. He was a shortstop in baseball. He also played quarterback for the school's football team.
He was thought to be one of the best high school football players in North Carolina. In 1997, he was chosen to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. A famous future NFL player, Julius Peppers, was one of his teammates in that game.
Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the Kansas City Royals (1998-2004)
Norris Hopper signed with the Kansas City Royals in 1998. He spent seven seasons with this team. All of these years were in the minor leagues. He played his last two seasons with the Royals in Double-A. He played for the Wichita Wranglers. There, he hit for a .290 batting average. He also stole 80 bases.
Overall, in 655 minor league games with the Royals, he had a .278 batting average. He hit two home runs, had 219 runs batted in, and stole 137 bases. He became a free agent on October 15, 2004. This meant he could sign with any team he wanted.
Time with the Cincinnati Reds (2005-2009)
On December 13, 2005, Hopper signed a contract with the Cincinnati Reds.
In 2005, he played for the Reds' Double-A team, the Chattanooga Lookouts. He hit .310, had one home run, 37 runs batted in, and 25 stolen bases. In 2006, he spent most of the season with the Reds' Triple-A team, the Louisville Bats. In 98 games with the Bats, he hit .347 and stole 25 bases.
On August 20, 2006, he made his first appearance in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds. He got a single hit in his very first time at bat. On September 22, 2006, he hit his first and only major league home run. This was against Rich Hill and the Chicago Cubs. That season, he played in 21 games. He hit .359, had one home run, five runs batted in, and two stolen bases.
During the 2007 season, he played in 121 games for the Cincinnati Reds. He hit .329, got 101 hits, had 14 runs batted in, and stole 14 bases. After spring training in 2009, he was sent back to the Triple-A Louisville Bats.
Other Teams (2009-2011)
On June 26, 2009, Hopper was traded to the Chicago White Sox. He was traded for another player, catcher Corky Miller.
Later, on August 6, 2009, Hopper was traded again. This time, he went to the Washington Nationals organization. He became a free agent on November 9, 2009.
On January 14, 2010, he signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. He played for their AAA team, the Nashville Sounds. After the 2010 season, he became a free agent again.
In 2011, Hopper signed with the Somerset Patriots. This team is in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played in 79 games for them. He had a .253 batting average and 67 hits. He became a free agent after that season.
He also played a short time in Mexico. On June 27, 2010, Hopper signed with the Petroleros de Minatitlan in the Mexican League. He played only 20 games for them before being released on July 24, 2010.
On-Field Collision
On May 28, 2007, a play happened during a game. Center fielder Ryan Freel was trying to catch a fly ball. He accidentally collided with Hopper's right elbow.
