Humble, hard-working Nori’s historic MLB Draft feat well-deserved
Dante’ Nori is pictured in a Northville High School conference room in March, a few weeks before the Mustangs ignited their MHSAA Division 1 state championship run.
Approximately 30 minutes before the Northville High School baseball team’s Division 1 district championship game against Novi on June 1, an elementary school-aged boy approached Mustang center-fielder/lead-off batter/future first-round MLB Draft pick Dante’ Nori.
With equal parts shyness and awe, the boy handed Nori a baseball over the fence that separated the playing field and the spectator area, and politely asked him to sign it, which Michigan’s 2024 Mr. Baseball did with a gracious smile.
I can’t remember ever witnessing a high school baseball player being asked for an autograph; but I wasn’t surprised because Nori wasn’t your typical high school baseball player.
On Sunday (just over a month after he helped lead Northville to its first-ever state title) Nori was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft with the 27th pick by the Philadelphia Phillies — a feat only a handful of Michigan Mr. Baseball recipients (Derek Jeter, Steve Avery and Nick Plummer) over the past four decades can claim.
(To watch Nori’s home run in the MHSAA Division 1 semifinal game, click here.)
Another anecdote that resonated with me regarding Nori’s high-character personality unfolded during a rainy game at Canton this past spring when he patted the Chiefs’ sophomore catcher on the back and offered encouraging words before stepping into the batter’s box.
The gesture was subtle, but ultimately an unforgettable moment for the 15-year-old catcher who no doubt knew about Nori’s status as one of the best prep players in the United States.
According to most MLB Draft “experts”, Nori was expected to be selected between the mid-second round and early-third round of the draft; although one draft expect writing for a pre-season MLB magazine pegged him as the 19th-best prospect (both collegiate and high school players) eligible for this week’s draft.
Praised for his elite speed, amazing hard-hit contact rate and defensive prowess, Nori signed a National Letter of Intent to play collegiate baseball for NCAA juggernaut Mississippi State University; however, considering the No. 27 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft inked a signing bonus of $3,100,000, it’s doubtful the former Mustang will ever play for the Bulldogs.
During a March interview with me, the articulate son of Micah and Melissa Nori revealed his blazing speed was inherited from his grandfather Fred Nori, the former head baseball coach for Indiana University.
Although fence-clearing power is part of his repertoire, Nori revealed to me that his goal almost every time he steps into the batter’s box is to hit a line drive over the shortstop’s head — not smashing jaw-dropping home runs.
Fence-clearing strength
His strength was on display during the Mustangs’ 9-2 D1 semifinal victory over Bay City Western when — with his team trailing Western 2-1 in the third inning — he turned on a fastball that sailed over the right field fence at Michigan State University’s Kobs Field and into the Red Cedar River — a body of water into which former Spartan Kirk Gibson used to splash titanic blasts.
John Kostrzewa, who was Nori’s head coach his first three seasons at Northville, said Nori will be an asset to the Phillies for reasons beyond his baseball acumen.
“Dante is fast, he can go get it in the outfield, he’s powerful and he has great baseball instincts,” Kostrzewa said. “He has all the tools.
“But what sets him apart is his love for the game and his discipline. There aren’t many kids — college or high school — who eat, sleep and work out at a level that allow them to maximize their skills set like Dante has.”
Nori also embraces a first-round grade in humanit, Kostrzewa noted.
“My two daughters (who are 10- and 11-years-old) love Dante’ — and not from watching him play baseball,” Kostrzewa added. “The way he interacts with them — and with everybody from teammates to coaches to administrators — is just priceless.”
Great role model
In other words, the Philadelphia Phillies have not only added a game-chancing talent to their organization, they’ve also secured a first-class human being.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
