Norris Hopper #30

Is a graduate of Shelby (NC) High School...in high school played against former Reds teammate RHP Todd Coffey.

2008

Appeared in only 26g for the Reds, including 10 starts...was bothered all season by a sore right elbow that required 2 stints on the disabled list (4/23-6/17, 7/5-remainder of the season)...on 7/8 had season-ending "Tommy John" surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow (Dr. Timothy Kremchek)...made his last appearance for the Reds as a pinch hitter on 7/1 vs Pit (walked) and his last start on 6/29 at Cle (RF, 0-5, 1k)...on 12/12 was non-tendered but that same day was re-signed to a 1-year Major League contract.

2007

In his first full season in the Major Leagues ranked among all National League rookies in hitting (.329, 2nd), on-base percentage (.371, 3rd), OF assists (5, 4th), stolen bases (14, 5th), multi-hit games (27, T8th), runs (51, 9th) and hits (101, 9th)...his career-high 11-game hitting streak from 8/1-8/15 (.438) tied for the third-longest by any NL rookie...the last 2 months of the season produced the second-best batting average of any player in the Major Leagues (.381)...in August led the entire NL in hitting (.425) and received NL Rookie of the Month Award votes...hit a team-best .341 in September... led the club with 17 bunt singles and 20 more infield hits...made 64 starts (47 in CF, 10 in RF, 7 in LF)...began the season on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised right heel, an injury suffered during a spring training game on 3/19 at Det...missed the Reds' first 14g...was reinstated on 4/18...in the doubleheader at Pit on 8/28 produced 6 hits, including a career-best 4 hits in the nightcap...had his other 4-hit game on 9/13 vs StL...on 9/21 at SF was ejected by HP umpire Bob Davidson following his first plate appearance...had reached first base on a bunt single but Davidson ruled he was out of the batter's box...on 9/23 at SF recorded his first career multi-walk game (3bb)...was bothered late in the season by a sore right groin and went hitless in his last 9ab, dropping BA from .336 to season-ending .329.

2006

In his Major League debut made 21 apps during 2 stints with the Reds (8/20-8/22, 9/2-10/1)... made 9 starts (8gs in RF, 1gs in CF)...hit .361 in 19 September apps...in his last 4g of the season went 6-for-9 to raise BA from .267 to season-ending .359...on 9/2 was recalled from Class AAA Louisville, where he was an International League All-Star and the Bats' Most Valuable Player (98g, .347, 25sb)...was the leading votegetter among IL All-Star outfielders...led the IL and ranked second in all of Class AAA with the highest batting average in Louisville franchise history (.347)...was Louisville's first batting champion since Cardinals farmhand Dmitri Young led the league in 1996...his BA ranked 12th among all minor league hitters...while with the Bats he struck out just 25 times in 383 plate apps...played in 102g at Louisville and Class AA Chattanooga before he was promoted to Cin on 8/20, when LHP Chris Michalak went on the bereavement list...that day made his Major League debut as a pinch hitter and singled off Pit's Mike Gonzalez...became the first Reds batter to produce a hit in his first career plate appearance since Wily Mo Pena singled off Kip Wells on 9/10/02 vs Pit...returned to Louisville after 2 apps and spent the rest of the minor league season there before he was recalled again on 9/2...on 9/6 vs SF produced his first career RBI on a pinch-hit single off Jonathan Sanchez and his first career stolen base...on 9/9 vs Pit made his first career start (RF, 1-4)...from 9/9-9/12 started a season-high 3 straight games (RF, CF, RF, 2-8)...in a rain-shortened, 5-inning game on 9/22 vs Chi hit his first career home run (off Rich Hill)...missed the last 2g of the season with a strained right hamstring...was Louisville's Hitter of the Month for July (.406)...led the Bats with 40 multi-hit games...on 7/19 vs Buffalo had 5 hits, the most by a Bats hitter in a game all season...led Louisville with 82 starts batting leadoff...following the season played for Mayos de Navojoa in the Mexican Winter League (32g, .296, 2hr, 18rbi).

2005

At Class AA Chattanooga ranked fourth in the Southern League and seventh among all Reds minor leaguers in batting average (.310)...ranked T4th among Reds farmhands in stolen bases (25)...was selected to play in the Southern League All-Star Game...from 4/22-5/18 produced a season-high 21-game hitting streak (36-87, .414, 1hr, 10rbi)...following the season played for Navojoa in the Mexican Pacific League (57g, .327, 1hr, 21rbi, 12sb).

2004

Appeared in 98g at Class AA Wichita...2003: At Class AA Wichita ranked sixth in the Texas League in hitting (.300).

2003

At Class AA Wichita ranked sixth in the Texas League in hitting (.300).