Nelson Norman
Encyclopedia
Nelson Augusto Norman is a former Major League Baseball
shortstop, minor league coach and manager. He played all or part of six seasons in the major leagues between and .
in . He made his professional debut with the minor league
Gulf Coast League Pirates that year, batting
.262 in 61 games. He made his way through their farm system quickly, and by the end of the 1977 season
he was playing for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers
. That offseason, he was traded to the Texas Rangers
as part of a four-team trade that brought future Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven
to the Pirates.
with the Tucson Toros
. In mid-May, starting shortstop Bert Campaneris
was injured, and Norman was called up to the majors to back up replacement Jim Mason
. He made his major league debut on May 20, three days before his 20th birthday. He entered the game in the sixth inning after the Rangers had pinch-hit
for Mason. He played three innings in the field, handling one chance on defense, before he was lifted for pinch hitter Mike Jorgensen
. Two days later, Norman made his first start and got his first major league hit.
When Campaneris was activated in early June, Norman returned to Tucson. He spent the rest of the season there, batting .284 with 76 RBIs
. He returned to the major leagues in September, finishing his first season with nine hits in 34 at bat
s.
, beating out both Campaneris and newcomer Larvell Blanks
, who had been acquired from the Cleveland Indians
over the winter (Campaneris would be traded to the os Angeles Angels of Anaheim|California Angels) in May). Norman played in 147 games, but batted just .222 with just 12 extra base hit
s in 343 at bats.
as the starting shortstop again. However, by the end of April, he had lost the job to Pepe Frías
, who had been acquired from the Atlanta Braves
over the winter. In May, the Rangers signed Bud Harrelson
to back up Frías, and Norman, who was hitting .219 in 17 games, was sent down to the minors. However, due to injury, he played in just 28 games for the Charleston Charlies
, and did not play in the majors again that year.
Once again, the Rangers acquired a shortstop over the winter before the 1981 season
. This time, it was Mario Mendoza
, acquired in a trade from the Seattle Mariners
. Norman started the season in the minors, playing for the Wichita Aeros
. He batted .246 in 115 games, and earned a September call-up to the Rangers. He played in just seven games, going 3-for-13 at the plate. After the season, the Rangers traded Norman back to the Pirates for pitcher
Víctor Cruz.
entrenched as their starting shortstop. During spring training, Norman was beaten out for the backup job by minor league veteran Jim Smith, and for the second consecutive year he opened the year in the minors. After batting .270 in 134 games for the Portland Beavers
, Norman was again called up in September, but this time played in just three games. He started the final game of the season, going 0-for-3.
In , Norman was demoted to Double-A. He played the entire season with the Lynn Sailors
, where he was moved to second base
for most of the year. He batted .268 and had a career-high (at any level) of five home run
s. In , he was back in Triple-A with the Hawaii Islanders
, where for the first time in his career he was not the full-time starter, splitting time in the middle infield with several other players. At the end of the year, he became a free agent.
, and spent the 1985 season
playing second base. After hitting just .186, he was traded during the offseason to the Montreal Expos
for fellow minor league veteran Steve Baker
.
Norman finished his playing career in the Expos organization. After his abysmal 1985, he was returned to Double-A again in with the Jacksonville Expos. He spent his last three seasons as a player with the Indianapolis Indians
before retiring in . He did get to play one final game in the majors on April 29, 1987, starting at shortstop against his old team, the Pirates, and going 0-for-4.
. In , he served as a coach for the Swing of the Quad Cities. From to , he was the manager of the Dominican Summer League
Cardinals, although he was replaced for part of by Claudio Almonte.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
shortstop, minor league coach and manager. He played all or part of six seasons in the major leagues between and .
Pittsburgh Pirates
Norman was originally signed as a 16-year-old amateur free agent by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in . He made his professional debut with the minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
Gulf Coast League Pirates that year, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.262 in 61 games. He made his way through their farm system quickly, and by the end of the 1977 season
1977 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Reggie Jackson, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: None*National League Championship Series MVP: Dusty Baker...
he was playing for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers
Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
. That offseason, he was traded to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
as part of a four-team trade that brought future Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011...
to the Pirates.
1978: MLB debut
Norman started the 1978 season1978 in baseball
-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Indios de Mayagüez *College World Series: USC*Japan Series: Yakult Swallows over Hankyu Braves *Little League World Series: Pin-Kuang, Pin-Tung, Taiwan-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player...
with the Tucson Toros
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
. In mid-May, starting shortstop Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
was injured, and Norman was called up to the majors to back up replacement Jim Mason
Jim Mason (baseball)
James Percy Mason , is a former Major League Baseball shortstop, who played nine seasons in the major leagues, from 1971–1979, for the Washington Senators, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Montreal Expos.Mason was a member of the Yankees during the 1976 World Series against...
. He made his major league debut on May 20, three days before his 20th birthday. He entered the game in the sixth inning after the Rangers had pinch-hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
for Mason. He played three innings in the field, handling one chance on defense, before he was lifted for pinch hitter Mike Jorgensen
Mike Jorgensen
Michael Jorgensen is a former Major League Baseball player drafted by the New York Mets in the fourth round of the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft...
. Two days later, Norman made his first start and got his first major league hit.
When Campaneris was activated in early June, Norman returned to Tucson. He spent the rest of the season there, batting .284 with 76 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. He returned to the major leagues in September, finishing his first season with nine hits in 34 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s.
1979: Starter
In , Norman won the starting shortstop job in spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, beating out both Campaneris and newcomer Larvell Blanks
Larvell Blanks
Larvell Blanks is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder.Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 3rd round of the 1969 MLB amateur draft, Blanks would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Atlanta Braves on July 19, 1972, and appeared in his final game on August 3, 1980.Blanks'...
, who had been acquired from the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
over the winter (Campaneris would be traded to the os Angeles Angels of Anaheim|California Angels) in May). Norman played in 147 games, but batted just .222 with just 12 extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s in 343 at bats.
1980-81: Back to the minors
Norman opened up the 1980 season1980 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:World Series: Philadelphia Phillies over Kansas City Royals ; Mike Schmidt, MVP*American League Championship Series: Frank White, MVP*National League Championship Series Manny Trillo, MVP...
as the starting shortstop again. However, by the end of April, he had lost the job to Pepe Frías
Pepe Frias
Jesús María "Pepe" Frías Andújar is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1973-1981.-External links:...
, who had been acquired from the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
over the winter. In May, the Rangers signed Bud Harrelson
Bud Harrelson
Derrel McKinley "Bud" Harrelson is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers from to . After retiring, he served as a coach for the World Champion Mets, and as manager of the Mets in 1990 and 1991...
to back up Frías, and Norman, who was hitting .219 in 17 games, was sent down to the minors. However, due to injury, he played in just 28 games for the Charleston Charlies
Charleston Charlies
The Charleston Charlies was the name of the third and most recent Class AAA minor league baseball franchise that was located in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. The Charlies played in the International League from 1971 to 1976 as the relocated Columbus Jets franchise. In 1977 the franchise...
, and did not play in the majors again that year.
Once again, the Rangers acquired a shortstop over the winter before the 1981 season
1981 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager, co-MVPsNOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half...
. This time, it was Mario Mendoza
Mario Mendoza
Mario Mendoza Aizpuru is a former Major League Baseball infielder. Mendoza, a lifetime 0.215 hitter, is best known as the threshold for batting aptitude, with the "Mendoza Line", meaning a batting average of .200....
, acquired in a trade from the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
. Norman started the season in the minors, playing for the Wichita Aeros
Wichita Aeros
The Wichita Aeros was a minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the AAA American Association from 1970 through 1984....
. He batted .246 in 115 games, and earned a September call-up to the Rangers. He played in just seven games, going 3-for-13 at the plate. After the season, the Rangers traded Norman back to the Pirates for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Víctor Cruz.
Back to the Pirates
Unfortunately for Norman, the Pirates already had Dale BerraDale Berra
Dale Anthony Berra , is a former Major League Baseball player who primarily played as an infielder from through . He is the son of Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.-Early years:...
entrenched as their starting shortstop. During spring training, Norman was beaten out for the backup job by minor league veteran Jim Smith, and for the second consecutive year he opened the year in the minors. After batting .270 in 134 games for the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, Norman was again called up in September, but this time played in just three games. He started the final game of the season, going 0-for-3.
In , Norman was demoted to Double-A. He played the entire season with the Lynn Sailors
Lynn Sailors
The Lynn Sailors were a class AA American minor league baseball team affiliated with the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates. They were a member of the Eastern League and played at Fraser Field in Lynn, Massachusetts from 1980-1983....
, where he was moved to second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
for most of the year. He batted .268 and had a career-high (at any level) of five home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. In , he was back in Triple-A with the Hawaii Islanders
Hawaii Islanders
The Hawaii Islanders were a AAA minor league baseball team, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1961 through 1987. The Islanders were originally an affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics. They played their home games at Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu's Aloha Stadium...
, where for the first time in his career he was not the full-time starter, splitting time in the middle infield with several other players. At the end of the year, he became a free agent.
Orioles and Expos
He signed with the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and spent the 1985 season
1985 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals ; Bret Saberhagen, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: George Brett*National League Championship Series MVP: Ozzie Smith...
playing second base. After hitting just .186, he was traded during the offseason to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
for fellow minor league veteran Steve Baker
Steve Baker (baseball)
Steven Byrne Baker is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for four seasons. He pitched for the Detroit Tigers from 1978 to 1979, the Oakland Athletics from 1982 to 1983, and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1983...
.
Norman finished his playing career in the Expos organization. After his abysmal 1985, he was returned to Double-A again in with the Jacksonville Expos. He spent his last three seasons as a player with the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
before retiring in . He did get to play one final game in the majors on April 29, 1987, starting at shortstop against his old team, the Pirates, and going 0-for-4.
Post-playing career
After his playing career ended, Norman remained in the Expos organization as a minor league coach. In , he was named manager of the Gulf Coast League Expos, where he managed until . In , he moved to the Braves organization, where he managed the Macon Braves. In , he secured his first major league coaching job as the infield coach for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. In , he served as a coach for the Swing of the Quad Cities. From to , he was the manager of the Dominican Summer League
Dominican Summer League
The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20...
Cardinals, although he was replaced for part of by Claudio Almonte.