Greg Norton (baseball)
A versatile MLB journeyman who carved out a 13-year career as a reliable corner infielder and later became a respected hitting instructor.
Born 1972 (age 54)·American baseball player·Birthday: July 6·Generation X
Biography
Greg Norton's path in professional baseball was one of persistence and adaptability. Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1993, he made his major league debut three years later. Over the next thirteen seasons, he became the definition of a utility player, appearing for six different teams including the Colorado Rockies, where he had a career-best 51 RBI season in 2001. Norton was valued not for superstar numbers but for his switch-hitting ability, defensive flexibility at first and third base, and consistent professional approach at the plate. After retiring in 2009, he seamlessly transitioned into coaching, applying his hard-earned knowledge. He served as a minor league hitting coordinator for the Boston Red Sox and held coaching positions with Auburn University and in the Miami Marlins' farm system, helping to shape the next generation of hitters.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Greg was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Greg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Greg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball for six different franchises from 1996 to 2009.
- Recorded a career-high 51 runs batted in during the 2001 season with the Colorado Rockies.
- After his playing career, served as the minor league hitting coordinator for the Boston Red Sox organization.
Did You Know?
He was a standout multi-sport athlete in high school in Oklahoma, also playing basketball.
He was originally drafted as a shortstop before transitioning to corner infield positions.
In his final MLB season with the Atlanta Braves in 2009, he pitched a scoreless inning of mop-up relief against the Florida Marlins.
“You show up ready to play wherever the manager writes your name on the card.”
