After weeks of clamoring, Tigers’ fans finally got to see Daniel Norris in the starting rotation last Thursday. His start wasn't phenomenal, but it did remind us of the inherent talent hidden in the youngster's left arm, and why he's one of our favorite Tigers.
On Wednesday afternoon, Norris will take the mound again and face the Marlins. In celebration of Norris' return — hopefully for good, this time — Bless You Boys has partnered with BreakingT to design and offer you a Daniel Norris T-shirt.
ENOUGH WORDS WHERE DO I BUY THAT SHIRT?!
As you know, Norris was acquired at the trade deadline last season and quickly became a fan favorite because he’s really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking, and probably because he’s pretty good at baseball too, I guess. But also because he’s a very interesting person with an uncommon outlook on life, and he revealed after the season that he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. His upbeat attitude has inspired fans to root for him for reasons that go well beyond wins and losses.
Norris is certainly an unconventional 23-year-old pro athlete. Apart from being a former top pitching prospect, he’s also a talented artist and photographer, an active environmentalist, an avid outdoorsman, and reportedly one of the most grounded and humble young millionaires you’ll meet.
He spends time every offseason travelling the country and camping in his 1978 Volkswagon Westphalia, which has become a symbol of his free spirited attitude and all the reasons we support him on a deeper level than just baseball. He’s not just another pitcher, he’s the Van Man.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6699535/van_man.0.jpg)
The t-shirt features an ax-wielding Norris sporting his offseason beard and piloting Shaggy, his VW van, and you can now get this shirt to show your support for Norris and the Tigers! BreakingT has already partnered with a number of SB Nation sites to offer shirts that are a little less stuffy than what you’ll find on the team’s website. They’re licensed by the MLB Player’s Association, and the shirts are reportedly high quality and very soft.
GET YOUR VAN MAN SHIRT HERE
BreakingT is all about fan input in their designs too, so let us know what you think about the shirt, and if you have any other good ideas. You might even get to see your idea on a real shirt!