Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

This Blue Jays prospect actually lives in a van down by the river

Jays prospect actually lives in van down by river

By Gemma Kaneko

Sure, Ryan Dempster can talk the Chris Farley talk, but can he actually walk the walk? Blue Jays prospect Daniel Norris, unlike Dempster, actually lives in a van that could certainly be described as "down by the river."

But his van (named Shaggy, in case you were wondering) doesn't stay in one place. According to MiLB.com's Josh Jackson:

…the 21-year-old left-hander [is] … on a slow journey from his home in Johnson City, Tennessee, to Dunedin, Florida, for Spring Training, stopping and surfing as often as he can. And, yes, living out of his 1978 Volkswagen van as he goes.

So…what do other people think of this?

"Almost all of my teammates think I'm the weirdest guy in the world. Most people [in baseball] think I'm pretty far out," Norris admitted.

Want to know more? So do we. Here are the five most fascinating facts about MLB.com's no. 25 overall prospect/your new best friend:

1. He'll cook you dinner.

He makes his coffee in a French press every morning and he prepares his meals on a camp stove. Even if the food is less than Michelin-starred, eating it is probably a great experience:

2. He'll teach you how to surf.

Norris picked up surfing during his time in the Minors, and he wants to spread the word of the wave:

"…when I was in Dunedin in [Class A Advanced ball], I had my paddleboard with me. I took some guys out on that, a couple of guys who hated the water. They loved it! The next day, one of them asked me if we could go out again. It was great to see them get over that fear of the water."

3. He's an artist.

Most of us are happy to drink out of novelty coffee mugs we got from an office Secret Santa. Not Norris. In an interview with London Red Magazine, he described his favorite drinking vessel:

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

4. He's a model.

We know you saw that beard and thought, wow, that guy should model. A men's clothing and outdoor goods shop in Tennessee agreed with you and brought him in for a shoot:

5. He dreams of meeting Jack Johnson.

When asked to describe his perfect day, Norris imagines getting his van to Hawaii "somehow" and spending time with his favorite musician:

"…Maybe hang out with Jack Johnson, because he lives out there. We'd hang out, do a little sunset surf, then have a luau with him and some of his musical friends ... That's a dream," Norris said …"

He should just follow his own advice. "London" asked him what he'd tell young dreamers to do, and he kept his answer simple:

"Follow your heart, kid."

Follow it all the way through this thing we call #vanlife:

Read More: Toronto Blue Jays