Jim Norris
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1980)
Jim Norris was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1980 for the Cleveland Guardians and the Texas Rangers, a span of 4 seasons. In 489 career games, he hit .264 with 338 hits, 7 home runs, and 110 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1977-04-07
- Last Game
- 1980-10-05
Full name: James Francis Norris
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 489 | 1,282 | 173 | 338 | 57 | 17 | 7 | 110 | 59 | 173 | 128 | .264 | .348 | .351 | .699 | -240 |
Career AVG .264 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .348 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — +6.2% above league average.
Career SLG .351 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 10.3% below league average.
Career OPS .699 vs. league average .719 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | CLE | AL | 133 | 440 | 59 | 119 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 37 | 26 | 64 | 57 | .270 | .264 (+2%) | .329 (+9%) | .401 (-9%) | .730 (-1%) | 87.1 |
| 1978 | CLE | AL | 113 | 315 | 41 | 89 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 12 | 42 | 20 | .283 | .257 (+10%) | .323 (+12%) | .378 (avg) | .702 (+6%) | 425.1 |
| 1979 | CLE | AL | 124 | 353 | 50 | 87 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 15 | 44 | 35 | .246 | .265 (-7%) | .329 (-1%) | .397 (-12%) | .727 (-7%) | -366.6 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 119 | 174 | 23 | 43 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 23 | 16 | .247 | .264 (-7%) | .326 (avg) | .387 (-29%) | .714 (-16%) | -385.8 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 489 | 1,282 | 173 | 338 | 57 | 17 | 7 | 110 | 59 | 173 | 128 | .264 | — | — | — | — | -240 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (489 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 255 | 663 | 89 | 170 | 2 | 55 | .256 |
| Away | 234 | 619 | 84 | 168 | 5 | 55 | .271 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-10-05 | TEX | SEA | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980-10-04 | TEX | SEA | W | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-10-03 | TEX | SEA | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-10-02 | TEX | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-10-02 | TEX | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-26 | TEX | SEA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-24 | TEX | MIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980-09-23 | TEX | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980-09-22 | TEX | MIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980-09-21 | TEX | LAA | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 19 |
| Left Field | 83 |
| Center Field | 122 |
| Right Field | 187 |
| Designated Hitter | 32 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland | College Park | MD | 1968, 1969, 1970 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jim Norris (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jim Norris: the record in brief
Jim Norris played a first major league game on April 7, 1977 and a last one on October 5, 1980. The team column moves through the Cleveland Indians (1977 through 1979) and the Texas Rangers (1980). Norris is listed as an outfielder at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. Norris batted and threw left-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is December 20, 1948, in Brooklyn, NY, USA. On the record, Jim Norris was born James Francis Norris.
In 489 games and 1,282 at bats, Norris batted .264 with 338 hits, adding 7 home runs, 110 RBI, and 59 stolen bases. Norris got on base at a .348 rate and slugged .351 (.699 OPS). Norris hit .264 while the league hit .263 over the same span, a figure close to average. No season topped the 119 hits of 1977. 1977 brought the most runs batted in, 37. On the bases, the high point was 26 steals in 1977. Among the seasons with the heaviest workload, the best average was .283 in 1978, 10% above that year's league mark of .257.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Norris
- What years did Jim Norris play?
- Jim Norris played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1980.
- Was Jim Norris a pitcher?
- No. Jim Norris was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Jim Norris hit?
- Jim Norris hit 7 career home runs with 338 hits.
- What was Jim Norris's career batting average?
- Jim Norris batted .264 over his career, with 338 hits in 1,282 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Norris have?
- Jim Norris drove in 110 runs in his career.
- Is Jim Norris in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jim Norris has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.