‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Dante Nori on adjusting to pro ball, growing up around the NBA, and more
The Phillies promoted the 20-year-old center fielder to high-A Jersey Shore on Tuesday. Nori's father, Micah, is a longtime assistant coach in the NBA.
Dante Nori is moving up.
After piling up hits over the last two months, Nori got promoted Tuesday to high-A Jersey Shore for the final two weeks of the single-A season. The Phillies’ 2024 first-round draft pick batted .262 with a .363 on-base percentage in 109 games overall — and .300 with a .410 on-base percentage in his last 58 games — for low-A Clearwater.
Nori, a 20-year-old center fielder, recently sat down with Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball show, to discuss how he turned around his season. In addition, he talked about growing up around NBA stars (Nori’s father, Micah, is a longtime assistant coach in the league) and his baseball card collection.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Q: You were committed to Mississippi State before the draft, and your plans changed when the Phillies picked you in the first round. What’s it been like to navigate life away from home on your own when most of your friends are off in college?
A: I was used to the living-on-your-own part with my dad being [an assistant coach in] the NBA his whole life. So he’s been out of the picture a while until the offseason. You see him every now and then. But other than that, my mom’s gone a lot of time [for] work; [my] sister’s gone. So, I mean, the aspect of being [by] yourself, [I’m] kind of used to it. And I think another thing I kind of like [is there’s] no school. It’s just baseball. So it’s kind of nice to [focus] on just one thing. And, yeah, you had a chance to go in Mississippi State, but [at] the end of the day, this is where I wanted to be, and I love it.
Q: Did your dad’s NBA coaching career give you a sense of what the lifestyle was like, and what the travel is all about?
A: Yeah, no doubt. Growing up, prime Vince Carter, he was a big one. Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh. I could go on and on about the people that surrounded me growing up and just knowing the lifestyle, what it takes. They’re doing the same thing, they’re playing basketball their whole life — it’s their job. You have a good feeling of what you’re going to do, like the road trips he’s on. I don’t even know where he is half the time, to be honest. People know where he is, and I don’t. I just turn on the TV and I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re in Miami today playing the Heat.’ … You knew what you’re getting into from the get-go. … Going into it, I knew exactly what I was getting into.
» READ MORE: Just like when he was a kid, Dante Nori has Kyle Schwarber to help him. This time he’s a Phillies teammate.
Q: How well do you know Anthony Edwards?
A: Decently well. We’re on a first-name basis, so [I] know him decently well.
Q: And more importantly, at least for baseball purposes, do you have Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez’s number in your phone?
A: I do not have his number. But, no, I have had some good conversations with him. I think I met him like two Christmases ago at this Timberwolves party get-together. So I had a nice, long conversation with him, just asking a bunch of questions.
Q: What’s your best story from being around NBA players your whole life?
A: The starstruck feeling, it’s kind of faded away when you’ve been around so much. But I think one of the coolest ones is DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. They want to call me ‘Dante is Little Micah’ because growing up, they just said I look so much like my dad, where it’s just ‘Little Micah.’ And even to this day, I’ll run into him right now, and then he says, ‘What’s up, Little Micah?’ So it’s kind of cool, like when he first called me that, and then 10 years later, down the line, you’re still getting called that.
» READ MORE: Phillies prospect Dante Nori grew up collecting baseball cards. Now he’s chasing his own rookie cards.
Q: What’s your advice for someone who is they’re trying to get back into baseball card collecting now?
A: Collect what you like. Me right now, growing up, I’ve always been a big fan of baseball cards. My best memory, earliest, was Mike Trout rookie card. I think I have three of those at my house. So that’s what, when I think baseball cards, I think Mike Trout rookie cards. … But, honestly, it’s just collect what you want. I know nowadays it’s more of like the money thing, especially Pokemon. It’s getting crazy nowadays. But collect what you like. I do it just for the collecting part. You build relationships, too. Like, there’s a card that I want, I have no problem trading some signed gear that I have laying around. And I’ve created a bunch of relationships. I’ve hopped on some breaks. People have come out, I’ve met them, who I’ve got cards from. It’s a great hobby.
Q: What’s it been like to be as close as you are with Kyle Schwarber and see him evolve the way he has?
A: Oh, it’s been cool. There’s a picture of me playing catch on the Indiana warning track as a kid, jersey swallowing me whole. So that’s cool. Look back at that, see how far he’s come. I mean, it’s unbelievable. Watching him in the College World Series, you watch him in the Big Ten tourney, he’s hitting these balls. It was unbelievable, and I still remember it. [I] hit with him in January, you see what he’s working on this year. What his goals are like, what’s he trying to do, just watching how his mind works and picking his brain on some of the stuff that he does.