Braves re-sign Greg Norton

by gondeee on Dec 19, 2008 4:08 PM EST in Free Agents Comment 40 comments

The Atlanta Braves announced they have re-signed outfielder / first baseman / pinch hitter Greg Norton to a one year contract for the 2009 season. Financial terms of the deal were not announced.

... and the crowd goes wild...

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THE RAKE RETURNS!!!!!

by mvandonsel on Dec 19, 2008 4:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Indeed…smart move.

I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.

by Smoltz's Beard on Dec 19, 2008 4:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No Brainer

At least SOMEONE wants to come to Atlanta.!! Atlanta Braves are a laughing stock right now

by AlRoBraves95 on Dec 20, 2008 9:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I getting really tired of these “Braves are the laughing stock of the MLB” comments. No, they are not. Almost everyone I’ve heard comment on the Furcal situation is squarely in the Brave’s corner on that one. At least we competed with the Yankees for Burnett — no reason to laugh at us there, it’s more than 28 other teams managed to do. Atlanta apparently is one of only 4 or 5 places Jake Peavy does want to go to, but he has the matter of a general manager with brain damage to overcome.

So, all you people who come here to post three or four times a year in order to say something stupid and negative, please, in the name of all that is holy, go away. At least for a while.

Thank you, and good day.

by sddbaker on Dec 23, 2008 10:20 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

+10

by mvandonsel on Dec 23, 2008 12:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wish...

I had taken a picture of his wife at the brown bag event, to post, to commemorate this joyous occasion.

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Dec 19, 2008 4:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Is she good looking?

by mvandonsel on Dec 19, 2008 4:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I like it

Very solid move, and we should all be glad.

I will now await a minimum of 10 comments starring mis-informed people who think that Wren signed Norton to be our power hitting LF. Let the idiotic bitching begin!

by VegasAces on Dec 19, 2008 4:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Link

Is there a link to this or did you just hear it?

by bbxxj on Dec 19, 2008 4:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I’m one of the special people who occasionally get press releases from the Braves.

by gondeee on Dec 19, 2008 4:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

hahaha

gondeee’s kind of a big deal, y’know.

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Dec 19, 2008 4:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

haha

Ok I trust you.

His line last year as a switch hitting PH: .316/.473/.526 with 3HR in 57AB.

Solid signing.

by bbxxj on Dec 19, 2008 4:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m glad we re-signed Greg Norton

by Sparhawk on Dec 19, 2008 4:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pretty sad....

When this is the best news we’ve gotten. It is a good move, though.

by secondbass on Dec 19, 2008 4:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Best move of the offseason.

by someguy917 on Dec 19, 2008 5:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Great move. Not always signing a big name will give you a chance at making the playoffs. A signing like this is what also helps put you in the playoffs.

braves#1

by rockybull on Dec 19, 2008 5:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

See you in October

I’ll eat my hat if we make the playoffs next year.

by TradeAndruw on Dec 19, 2008 6:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

for once, i approve of this

LONG LIVE THE RAKE

BIG JOE SUCK ONE

by bigjoe on Dec 19, 2008 6:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The last Braves game at Shea made special by Mr. Norton

by VictorW on Dec 19, 2008 6:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Here's a picture..

of the Mets vs. The Rake:

by sddbaker on Dec 23, 2008 10:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

hahahaha

+10

by mvandonsel on Dec 23, 2008 12:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's hilarious!

This better be posted every time the rake hits a homer!

by VictorW on Dec 24, 2008 3:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think bringing Norton back is smart. He produced great for us off the bench. Having a switch hitter off the bench creates miss matches. We can use him in left and help take some pressure off of Matt Diaz. Good move. He’ll also give Frenchy a break if he slumps and I believe they can use him at first too. Good move. Now lets get Adam Dunn!!!!!

by mrrich95 on Dec 19, 2008 6:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

how long before we hear that some other team signed him?

by SayHeyWerd on Dec 19, 2008 7:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

totally caught off guard by that one. Priceless!

by scstrato on Dec 19, 2008 9:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

p.s. Nortons the man

by SayHeyWerd on Dec 19, 2008 7:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

We now have a power hitting left fielding clean up hitter!!

by jjcollins on Dec 19, 2008 7:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

the funny thing is that norton actually hit clean up for us a few times this past year. fail.
but in all seriousness, he’s a good bench bat to have. i approve.

by FYFs LOBs on Dec 20, 2008 1:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i noticed no one said this, the deal is for like 800K or so

awesome deal

BIG JOE SUCK ONE

by bigjoe on Dec 20, 2008 12:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Rake!

Sorry, guys, the only pic I have of Jaena has just a portion of her face in it.

by Lizziebeth on Dec 20, 2008 11:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Greg Norton Signing Typical of Braves

The Braves seem to stockpile players that have seen their best days and pay them next to nothing and Greg Norton is one of those players. In 2006 Norton hit 17 homers for the Rays but in the last two seasons he has hit a total of 11 homers. He batted 294 times in 2006 and since then has batted 389 times giving him 6 less homers in almost 100 more at bats. He does get credit for hitting .296 for Braves with runners in scoring position. His OBP of .373 last season was very respectable and he shows great plate discipline. When he hit from the right side last season he hit .192 while hitting .289 as a lefthanded batter.

by NIteowl049 on Dec 23, 2008 8:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Classic.

I was trying to go back in the archives and find the game thread where we came up with the name Rake, but I found this first:

http://www.talkingchop.com/2008/5/5/473240/braves-acquire-greg-norton

I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.

by Smoltz's Beard on Dec 23, 2008 10:49 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ha

There is a lot of good stuff in hindsight. Where a lot of people called him Rake, I kept calling him the White Wilson Betemit until I decided to start calling him GNortony, in honor of Bobby adding “-ey” to everyone’s name.

I also found a fanpost by jug a few months ago where he was all apathetic about Infante returning from the DL, and only two months later, was he practically the most reliable bat in an injury-blitzed lineup.

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Dec 23, 2008 11:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I prefered GNortony!

I think we came up with rake because somebody said he looked like a tool in his MLB.com photo.

by mvandonsel on Dec 23, 2008 1:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

me. as usual

BIG JOE SUCK ONE

by bigjoe on Dec 23, 2008 3:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Let’s be reasonable here. I called him a tool, and then we argued about which tool in the shed would be the best fit. You ultimately won, with Rake.

I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.

by Smoltz's Beard on Dec 23, 2008 3:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

At least neither of you two losers tried to copyright it, like that one guy who tried to copyright all of the clever sayings that started here.

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Dec 23, 2008 4:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you shouldn’t crap on gondee like that, its real mean.

and i SO called him a tool first. shenanigans, i say.

BIG JOE SUCK ONE

by bigjoe on Dec 23, 2008 4:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I am the proud owner...

of a Braves cap signed by the Rake / GNortony / WWB, which I received in my gift bag at the Braves Power Lunch I attended — the one where I interviewed John Smoltz. Also I met him afterward outside the restaurant…. pretty unassuming sort of fellow. Norton, not Smoltz.

by sddbaker on Dec 23, 2008 1:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Norton’s a great guy. I talked with him a bunch of times when he was in AAA Charlotte, Toledo, and Durham. He’s definitely a pro; he goes about his business and treats people the right way. I was a fan before they picked him up and only became more of one during the season. Definitely glad they brought him back.

by cbwilk on Dec 23, 2008 3:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs