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Wednesday Dish: Norris Hones InPosted Apr. 15, 2009 12:21 pm by Jim ShonerdFiled under: Daily DishThe Nationals dispatched 20-year-old catcher Derek Norris to low Class A Hagerstown with the hope he’ll improve his defense to the point it rivals his considerable offensive potential. So far, the returns on both fronts have been positive.The Nationals drafted Norris in the fourth round of the 2007 draft out of a Kansas high school, and the righthanded hitter has become the organization’s best catching prospect in years, thanks largely to his power and mature approach at the plate."He’s got a pretty good plan when he goes to the plate," Hagerstown manager Matthew LeCroy said. "He’s got pretty good plate coverage. He can hit the ball out to right and center field. He’s got a pretty good eye. He’s patient and has good bat speed."Playing against mostly older competition, Norris led the short-season New York-Penn League in walks (63) and on-base percentage last year while hitting .278/.444/.463 in 227 at-bats with Vermont. He also led the Lake Monsters in home runs with 10.Through six games with Hagerstown, Norris is off to a .292/.393/.542 (7-for-24) start. He had his best showing of the young season last night, going 3-for-4 with a home run in an 11-5 win over Delmarva. His home run was line drive to right-center field off Shorebirds righthander Raul Rivero to lead off the sixth inning."His earlier at-bats, he had two strikes," LeCroy said. "He just can battle. He can foul pitches off and just waits until he gets his pitch. He’s actually made some good adjustments at the plate. He got a base hit up the middle and a base hit between third and short."He’s a mature hitter for his age."Norris’ defense hasn’t been too shabby either. He didn’t start playing catcher until his senior year of high school, and his inexperience showed last year as he committed 16 passed balls. However, he hasn’t allowed one this year through five starts behind the plate, and LeCroy, a former big league catcher himself, has been impressed with the 6-foot, 210-pounder’s athleticism and arm strength."He’s got a good arm. He’s an athletic guy," said LeCroy, a former big league catcher. "Even though he’s big, he can run, so he’s pretty agile back there. We’re just trying to hone in on his game calling and keeping his energy going. It’s going to come with playing and observing."McGeary Goes TonightNorris’ batterymate tonight will be lefthander Jack McGeary, who impressed in his full-season debut last week against Lake County. The 20-year-old tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings and fanned seven while walking only one and giving up three hits. LeCroy said McGeary’s fastball ranged from 88-91 mph and was impressed with his maturity."What I like about him is he seems pretty poised for being so young," LeCroy said. "He has an idea of what he wants to do on every pitch. He throws his fastball in and away. His changeup is probably, I think, his second best pitch. He’s got good arm speed on all his offspeed pitches. His curveball is pretty good, too. He has a chance to have two or three plus pitches."
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Topic: Following the Minor League Teams (2009) (Read 157604 times)
