Braden River High pitcher defies odds

BRADEN RIVER — Braden River High junior Brooks Norton walks around in a constant state of pain.

There’s rarely a day that goes by that the Pirates pitcher isn’t grimacing in discomfort or hobbling around in agony, as the pain becomes nearly unbearable.

But Norton pushes that all aside every time he steps onto the mound.

For those six or seven innings when he’s pitching, Norton’s adrenaline kicks in as he fires pitch after pitch into his catcher’s glove. It isn’t until the following day that the pain fully sets back in.

Norton was born with vertical talus, an uncommon foot disorder in which the talus bone is pointed in the opposite direction. As a result, Norton’s foot and ankle bones rub together on the outside whenever he starts to run.

“There’s a bunch of knots on the bottom of my foot, and it usually gives out at the step,” Norton said. “If I don’t get them taped, then I can’t pitch.”

Prior to every game, Norton has to get his feet and ankles taped. He also has to wear specialized shoes and get foot massages every day.

“The way his foot is, there’s no mobility, so we try to do as much as we can to increase blood flow,” Braden River athletic trainer Katie Gallagher said. “The tissue is so tight that he has to tape his ankles to get support. It’s hard, because what do you do for someone who is in pain all of the time?”

Growing up, Norton’s condition didn’t hinder him from playing baseball. With his two older brothers, Judson, who also suffers from vertical talus, and Trevor, involved in the sport, it was only a matter of time before Norton followed suit.

“I don’t think it would’ve been right if I didn’t play,” Norton said.

Norton played at shortstop for St. Stephen’s before moving over to Braden River his sophomore year.

The summer before his junior year, Norton’s condition got the best of him. At that point, the former shortstop had a decision to make: He could learn to pitch or he could give up baseball for good.

The latter was never a conceivable option.

“I knew I couldn’t go through another season agility-wise,” he said. “I never fully embraced the thought of not playing baseball and not having anything else. I was pretty determined. It was either not play baseball or learn how to pitch.”

Norton spent all summer working with the Pirates coaching staff.

“I went through a pretty long adjustment period in the summer learning what I can and can’t do and knowing my limits,” Norton said. “I love the mental aspect of keeping people off-balance and knowing that with your best stuff, you can still beat good teams.”

“I came in blind not knowing much about him, but I realized this kid’s pretty good, because of his changeup,” Braden River coach Mike Verrill said. “He’s got the best changeup of any pitcher at the high school level. He’s one of the few pitchers that have figured out that when you tell them their best pitch will be a changeup, it’s true.

“He’s the ultimate athlete,” Verrill said. “What you do on the field doesn’t make you great. It’s what you do off of the field. And the stuff he has to do just to pitch is (amazing). Most kids would’ve said, ‘I’m done.’”

Norton is 3-2 in five starts this season, having defeated traditional baseball powerhouses Manatee, Sarasota and Venice in his first season on the mound. In his three victories, Norton has maintained a 2.03 ERA, throwing 78 pitches a game on average, and has allowed just one walk over those three games.

“I owe it all to my coaches, more than anything,” Norton said. “I do half of the work, but I can only do so much. It’s more of a puzzle, and I just try and do as much as I can.”

Norton typically pitches every Friday night, and if all goes according to plan, he hopes to help lead the Pirates into the regional tournament.

But more than anything else, Norton is content knowing he beat the odds and was able to spend another year on the diamond.

“Knowing that I didn’t think I would be able to do it before and then getting this opportunity has obviously been the best moment,” Norton said. “I just want to go out and show people that even those with limitations can still have success.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].