Native Tennessean adventurer, outdoor enthusaist and Major League Pitcher Daniel Norris shares his views on the great outdoors, God, and life in his 1978 VW Bus, Shaggy.

*Daniel and Shaggy, on a road trip in 2014 ©London Red*

INTERVIEW WITH AN OUTDOORSMAN: DANIEL NORRIS + JOHNSON CITY, TN

Original interview published in 2015 by London Red . All rights reserved.

Daniel Norris is a gentleman. A mountain man. A Major League Pitcher, but most importantly, my friend. He does not seek out adventure, rather, it finds him. He cares deeply about the environment and loves God. He is humble, calm, caring and walks with a demeanor of kindness and strength, not seen among many.
Currently reading On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, Daniel grins as he quotes lines to me. It’s early Saturday morning, and we're going on a road trip from Nashville. We eat breakfast at Bongo Java. Daniel orders a bowl of oatmeal, and our coffee smells like blueberries and neither of us know why. We are about to embark on a road trip with no apparent destination, all we know is we're headed west.
We drive in Daniel's 1978 VW Westy, named Shaggy. She’s a golden-cream color and purrs down the road. Cars honk and wave, Daniel nods and smiles. When he talks, he’s focused, concentrated, and sometimes seems to be in a different world. He is planning a cross-country trip with Shaggy to visit the Patagonia headquarters in Ventura, California.
It's late October, but today is different. There is a feeling of California summer in the air. Jack Johnson plays through the speakers, a warm breeze comes through the windows, we drive in silence. Perhaps both dreaming of heading towards California and that great blue ocean.

Thank you for all the memories D.

- LR

MLB OUTDOORSMAN INTERVIEW: DANIEL NORRIS + BASEBALL
PHOTOS + INTERVIEW BY LONDON RED

ABOUT YOU:

WHO: Daniel Norris
FROM: Johnson City, Tennessee
OCCUPATION: MLB Pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
PASSIONS:

Surfing, Nature, Patagonia, Road Trips, Baseball & God.

WHO ARE YOU AS A PERSON:
"Well, 1st and foremost, I am a Christian who doubles as an athlete, and not the other way around. I play baseball professionally for the Toronto Blue Jays, but that doesn’t define me, even so it is my passion. I’m also an often hit target of adventure as I don’t believe one can set out to find adventure, instead, adventure finds me… Usually when I least expect it. To sum me up…. I’m an old soul."

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY:
"In season- Wake up at 7:22, brew a pot of coffee… Walk outside and do my reading and writing. Come back in and make oatmeal & eggs (2nd cup). Kick back for a bit then head out for some exploring. Depending where I’m at I’ll always explore the lay of the land. Then I’ll head to the field for my workouts and pre-game stuff. Post game I’ll grab some grub, head home, drink more coffee while reading, then rest my eyes and wake up again and repeat."

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE IN 10 YEARS:
"In 10 years I think I will be in the MLB living my dream. In the off season I will be enjoying surf trips around the world, still trying to find the perfect surf break."

YOUR DREAMS ARE:
1. MLB Player
2. Patagonia Ambassador
3. Change the world…One Pitch… 1 wave… 1 cup of coffee at a time.

YOUR IDEAL LIFE:
"Playing baseball, riding perfect waves, climbing big rocks and leading people to Christ for the rest of my days. Yea, that's it."

INSPIRATION:

WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT:
"I’m passionate about baseball, surfing and my relationship with God. I think that true passion consists of a real deep desire to always get better at something. To always be in search of opportunities to improve. Yea, that's passion."

WHAT DOES 2 PETER 3:18 MEAN TO YOU:
(But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.)
"2 Peter 3:18 is my life verse and basically it means to me that everything that comes my way is a gift from God and I always give thanks to Him by turning the glory over to him."

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FAITH:
"Simple. It is EVERYTHING to me. Keeps me going. Stead Fast."

HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:
"It’s the most important thing to me. If I don’t have it. Then I have nothing. God is love and we all need love. True love."

*Daniel and mini Shaggy with big Shaggy. ©2014 London Red*

STYLE:

WHAT IS YOUR STYLE:
"I’m not really certain that I have one. Really anything Patagonia. But usually an old t & some jeans with some worn out Chucks or flippers. Me and Pops share a lot of clothes. I usually get a good breeze through the holes in my stuff ha!"

TELL ME ABOUT THE NECKLACES YOU WEAR:
"I’ll always have a cross around my neck b/c that’s what I stand for. I keep God close to my heart."

COFFEE:

TELL ME ABOUT COFFEE IN THE MORNING:
"My morning coffee is always the first thing I do. I take it pretty seriously. Always trying to perfect the perfect brew. I think coffee has the reverse effect on me, though. I drink it every night as well and it can put me right to sleep. The warmth and the smell I think just mellow me out."

AGE YOU STARTED DRINKING COFFEE:
"Just a few years ago, really. So probably 18 or 19. Mom & Pops don’t drink it so I kinda had to venture out on my own to find it. Me & my sister drank green tea alllll the time in HS."

YOUR FAVORITE COFFEE MUG:
"I made my own mug recently and painted a pretty cool sunset scene with good waves on it, so that's def. my favorite."

DARK ROAST OR LIGHT ROAST:
"Dark Roast. For sure."

BASEBALL:

YOU JUST GOT PROMOTED TO A NEW TEAM, HOW DO YOU FEEL:
"Thankful.. New opportunities are always exciting. Hard work pays off."

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BASEBALL:
"It’s such a pure sport. So much that goes on behind the scenes that people can’t really see. It’s my passion."

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED PLAYING:
"Before I could walk I was throwing balls around. My first word was Ball."

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT PITCHING:
"I am truly at peace out there. 100% concentration. Only thing comparable is riding a wave. I know that I’m exactly where God wants me when I’m pitching…"

THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB:
"Creating mental toughness and sustaining it throughout the entire season."

MOST REWARDING PART OF PLAYING BALL:
"The pure joy of just being out there. The privilege of playing the game I love every single day."

WORDS OF ADVICE FOR ANYONE PURSUING THEIR DREAMS:
“Follow your heart, kid.”

*Daniel Norris, 2014. Always wearing a cross around his neck. On a road trip in TN. ©London Red*

ADVENTURE/ NATURE:

HOW DOES NATURE INSPIRE YOU:
"Nature inspires me in many ways.
1: It shows me how amazing God is.
2: It inspires me in art- to take more photos.
3: To take better care of it."

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE YOU’VE TRAVELED TO:
"Thus far in my life… Nicaragua. Going back soon."

PATAGONIA IS:
"Everything I envisioned being apart of as I grow up.
From the lifestyle to the clothing to the people that run it… It’s perfect."

IF YOU COULD BE COMPLETELY SUSTAINABLE ON YOUR OWN; HOW WOULD YOU FEEL:
"Blessed. That is my goal. To be 100% self-sustainable. I want to cut down all my needs. I want to be able to get every ounce of use of anything in my possession. That’s where Patagonia stands out…"

HOW HAS PATAGONIA INSPIRED YOU TO LIVE MORE RESPONSIBLY IN YOUR LIFE:
"Patagonia has inspired me to not only be self sustainable but also to reduce my waste and reuse more often. Being so passionate about something, such as Patagonia, has kept me more mindful of what I'm using and how I'm using it. Whether its taking my own Patagonia tote bag to the market or reusing my Nalgene water bottle or even riding my bike when I don't need to drive. It's a daily effort and as I grow and mature I realize more and more & I can thank Patagonia for that."

BIGGEST INFLUENCES IN YOUR LIFE:
-Father
-Football coach from HS.
-Clayton Kershaw
-Jeff Johnson

WHEN YOU ARE OLD AND GREY, YOU HOPE TO BE:
"When I am old and grey, I hope to be living in a far off bungalow somewhere far off the grid, still riding waves of course. Growing my own food in a garden, living completely self-sustainable."

JEFF JOHNSON:
"Has taught me a ton about life and how to live it.
And he doesn’t even know it."

-End-