Tampa, Fla. — The catcher’s mitt popped loudly when his fastball arrived, which was often Tuesday at Steinbrenner Field.
Daniel Norris threw mostly fastballs, and way too many to suit him, or the Tigers, in his 12/3 innings of less-than-precise work as the Tigers met the Yankees in a Grapefruit League game.
The 23-year-old Norris, a left-hander with a prized arm and potential star status ahead, ran his pitch count to 40 before he was excused with two gone in the second inning of what then was a scoreless game.
“About as bad as a first outing could go, as far as delivery,” Norris said in the visitor’s clubhouse midway through Tuesday’s game.