Brittany Ghiroli, who covers the O’s for MLB.com, wrote a good story this week on new Birds hurler Bud Norris. The piece describes Norris’ frustrations while playing for his former team, the Houston Astros, who – to put it lightly – weren’t very good during his time there.
Ghiroli describes Norris’ competitive nature, adding in quotes from Bud’s mother about how much he wanted to win in everything he did, even as a child.
However, just as interesting as any of that – to me at least – was the revelation that “Bud” isn’t even his real name, and the story about how (and when) he earned the nickname that he uses to this day.
Norris was in second grade when his physical education teaTcher told him not everything was a game that had to be won; this was merely getting some exercise. The sentiment — similar to what his mother, Suzi, tried to explain to her son at the infancy stages of Little League — couldn’t deter Bud, who earned the moniker — his real name is David — after trying to order a beer at a Mexican restaurant when he was 3 years old.
That. Is. Awesome.
So when O’s fans say “This Bud’s for you” in reference to Norris, it’s extremely fitting. But what if young David had ordered a different kind of beer that night back in 1988?
Would we be cheering for Miller Norris as he takes the hill tonight against the Red Sox? Coors Norris has a nice ring to it. Or, since the incident was at a Mexican restaurant, Cornona Norris?
Sounds like a race car driver.
“Bud” takes the hill tonight against John Lackey, as the O’s start a short two-game series in Boston (what’s that? They played last night? Nope, doesn’t ring a bell.) The team has won all five games he’s started since coming over from Houston, though he is coming off his worst performance as an Oriole, giving up seven runs in 4.2 IP last Friday against Oakland.
Norris pitched against Boston back on April 28, holding the Sox to 3 ER in 6 IP.
