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New Jay Bud Norris getting some work in here at Dunedin Stadium. pic.twitter.com/YSi97KrMtO — Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) March 7, 2019

Coming to a clubhouse with a heavy Latin component, including first-year manager Charlie Montoyo, it’s obviously a wise priority for the 34-year-old Norris.

Norris’s 2015 comments were in response to a USA Today report that claimed the majority of bench-clearing brawls in MLB included players of different ethnic backgrounds.

“I think it’s a culture shock,” Norris said told USA Today. “This is America’s game. This is America’s pastime, and over the last 10-15 years we’ve seen a very big world influence in this game, which we as a union and as players appreciate.

“However, if you’re going to come into our country and make our American dollars, you need to respect a game that has been here for over a hundred years, and I think sometimes that can be misconstrued.”

Norris said he appreciated comments from Montoyo on Wednesday where the manager said he will form his own opinion on the new manager once he gets to know him.

“I would love to have that opportunity to sit down and have him get to know me,” Norris said. “That meant a lot that he said that because I hope over time he can make his own opinion of me.”

rlongley@postmedia.com