Bud Norris
Encyclopedia
David Stefan "Bud" Norris (March 2, 1985 in Greenbrae, California) is a Major League Baseball
starting pitcher for the Houston Astros
.
, Norris was selected by the Houston Astros
in the sixth round (189th overall) of the 2006 amateur entry draft
. In 2009, Norris received an invitation to the Astros' spring training
camp. Baseball America
ranked him as the number two prospect in the Astros' system. In August 2009, he was named the Pacific Coast League
Pitcher of the Year after leading the league with a 2.63 Earned Run Average
.
. He made his Major League debut on July 29. In his first Major League start, he pitched 7 shut-out innings against the St. Louis Cardinals
on August 2, 2009 to earn his first career victory. He took a no-hitter
into the sixth inning. In his rookie season overall, Norris went 6-3 in ten starts for a 4.53 Earned Run Average. He was shut down near the end of the season to prevent potential injury. He had shaky start in 2010, having a 5.97 ERA and a 2-6 record up to the allstar break 2010; After the allstar break he was 'lights out,' performing at 7-4. He finished the year at 9-10 with a 4.92 ERA. He is currently at 21-24 with a 4.33 ERA for his Major League career. In 2011, Norris win-loss record stood at 6-11 even though he actually pitched quite well, as evidenced by his 3.77 ERA. Houston's terrible offense in 2011 resulted in many low scoring losses.
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...
starting pitcher for the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
.
Minor League Career
From Cal PolyCalifornia Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
, Norris was selected by the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in the sixth round (189th overall) of the 2006 amateur entry draft
2006 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.-First Round Selections:...
. In 2009, Norris received an invitation to the Astros' spring training
Spring 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...
camp. Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
ranked him as the number two prospect in the Astros' system. In August 2009, he was named the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
Pitcher of the Year after leading the league with a 2.63 Earned Run Average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
Major League Career
In July 2009, Norris was called up to pitch for the Astros following an injury to starting pitcher Roy OswaltRoy Oswalt
Roy Edward Oswalt is an American Major League Baseball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher, is currently in his eleventh major league season...
. He made his Major League debut on July 29. In his first Major League start, he pitched 7 shut-out innings against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on August 2, 2009 to earn his first career victory. He took a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
into the sixth inning. In his rookie season overall, Norris went 6-3 in ten starts for a 4.53 Earned Run Average. He was shut down near the end of the season to prevent potential injury. He had shaky start in 2010, having a 5.97 ERA and a 2-6 record up to the allstar break 2010; After the allstar break he was 'lights out,' performing at 7-4. He finished the year at 9-10 with a 4.92 ERA. He is currently at 21-24 with a 4.33 ERA for his Major League career. In 2011, Norris win-loss record stood at 6-11 even though he actually pitched quite well, as evidenced by his 3.77 ERA. Houston's terrible offense in 2011 resulted in many low scoring losses.