Hideo Nomo
Hideo Nomo 野茂 英雄 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Nomo with the Columbus Clippers in 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pitcher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born: Osaka, Japan | 31 August 1968|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Professional debut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NPB: April 10, 1990, for the Kintetsu Buffaloes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MLB: May 2, 1995, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NPB: 1994, for the Kintetsu Buffaloes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MLB: April 18, 2008, for the Kansas City Royals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NPB statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Win–loss record | 78–46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Earned run average | 3.15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strikeouts | 1,204 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Win–loss record | 123–109 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Earned run average | 4.24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strikeouts | 1,918 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NPB
MLB
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Member of the Japanese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Induction | 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Hideo Nomo (野茂 英雄, Nomo Hideo, born 31 August 1968) is a Japanese former
Nomo pitched over a span of 13 seasons in the American major leagues with eight different teams, before retiring in 2008. In 1995, he won the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year Award and was named an MLB All-Star. He twice led MLB in strikeouts and also threw two no-hitters, including the first No-Hitter in Coors Field[2] history, a ballpark notoriously hard to pitch in due to elevation from sea level affecting pitched and batted balls.[3] He was the only Japanese pitcher in MLB to throw a no-hitter until the Seattle Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma did so on August 12, 2015, against the Baltimore Orioles.[4]
Nomo was well known for his distinctive "tornado"
Early life
Nomo was born in Minato-ku, Osaka, Japan, into the working-class family of Shizuo, a fisherman and postal worker, and Kayoko, a part-time supermarket employee. As a youth, Nomo was shy and withdrawn, although passionate about baseball. He developed his corkscrew-style pitching motion in order to impress his father while playing catch. He believed that rotating from having his back turned to his target would help him add speed to his pitches.[5]
Nomo graduated from Seijo Industrial High School in Osaka where he grew to 188 centimetres (6 ft 2 in) and 91 kilograms (201 lb). However, he was not selected in the
Professional career
Nomo honed his forkball and his control while pitching in the Industrial League. At the 1988 Summer Olympics, Nomo played for the silver medal-winning Japanese baseball team.
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The
In his first four seasons, Nomo was as consistent, and consistently good, as any pitcher in
Nomo had become one of the most popular baseball players in Japan but after the 1994 season, Nomo got into a contract dispute with team management. The Buffaloes rebuffed Nomo's demands to have a contract agent and multi-year contract. Because he was drafted by Kintetsu, the Buffaloes retained exclusive rights to Nomo; however, Nomo's agent, Don Nomura, found a loophole in the Japanese Uniform Players Contract to enable him to become a free agent. The "voluntary retirement clause" allowed a player who retired to play for whomever he wished after returning to active status.[5] This led to him heading to the U.S., where in February 1995, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Nomo made his U.S. pro baseball debut with the
The tornado delivery that baffled batters in Japan had the same effect on major league hitters, and he led the league in strikeouts in 1995 (while finishing second in
As batters caught on to his delivery, his effectiveness waned a bit in 1997, although he still went 14–12, joining Dwight Gooden as the only other pitcher to strike out at least 200 batters in each of his first three seasons.
1998–2000
Nomo pitched poorly in 1998, starting the season 2–7, and was dealt to the New York Mets. His performance did not improve and he was released that season. In 1999, he signed with the Chicago Cubs and made three starts for their Triple-A minor league team before refusing to make further starts in the minors, and received a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he went 12–8 with a 4.54 ERA. He reached the 1,000 strikeout mark in 1999, the third fastest in major league history. The Brewers waived him after contract issues and the Philadelphia Phillies claimed him, then granted him free agency only 24 hours later after more contract issues. Finally signed by the Detroit Tigers in 2000, he went 8–12 with a 4.74 ERA and was again released.
2001–2003
Nomo signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2001 and started the season in spectacular fashion, throwing his second no-hitter in his Sox debut, on April 4, against the Baltimore Orioles, walking three and striking out 11. This no-hitter was the first in the 10-year history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and made Nomo the first Red Sox to pitch a no-hitter since Dave Morehead in 1965. Nomo also became just the fourth player in baseball history to have thrown a no-hitter in both leagues (joining Cy Young, Jim Bunning and Nolan Ryan. Randy Johnson later joined them, becoming the fifth player after throwing a perfect game in 2004). It was the earliest, calendar-wise, that a Major League Baseball no-hitter had been pitched until Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw a no-hitter on April 1, 2024.[9] Nomo also led the league in strikeouts for the first time since his first season in MLB.
A free agent after the end of the year, Nomo returned to the Dodgers in 2002. He had his best season since 1996, posting a 16–6 record, 193 strikeouts, and 3.39 ERA. The following year, he had another strong season, going 16–13 with 177 K and a 3.09 ERA. During September 2003, however, he began to exhibit signs of injury and fatigue.
2004–2008
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/HideoNomo.png/220px-HideoNomo.png)
Nomo began to struggle again in 2004. After undergoing shoulder surgery in October 2003, he was benched after going 4–11 with an 8.25 ERA for the Dodgers (the worst ERA in the history of baseball for a player with at least 15 decisions in a season).
Before the start of
In
On January 4, 2008, Nomo signed a minor league contract for 2008 with the Kansas City Royals. If added to the roster Nomo would have received a $600,000 one-year contract and the chance to earn $100,000 in performance bonuses.[10] On April 5, his contract was bought by the Royals, and he was added to the 25-man roster. On April 10, Nomo made his first major league appearance since 2005, facing the New York Yankees in relief to start the seventh inning of a game the Yankees were leading 4–1. Nomo loaded the bases, but was able to retire his countryman Hideki Matsui to strand all three runners. But he surrendered back-to-back homers to Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada in the ninth inning. On April 20, Nomo was designated for assignment.[11] The Royals released him on April 29. On July 17, Nomo officially retired from Major League Baseball.
Nomo earned 123 wins in the Major Leagues and 78 in Japan, winning his 200th overall game on June 15, 2005. Nomo's success helped inspire other stars from Japan such as Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, and Daisuke Matsuzaka to come over to the States as well. In addition, Nomo is one of only five players to pitch at least one no-hitter in both the National League and American League in Major League Baseball history. He has, to date, thrown the only no-hitters at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and at Coors Field.
Post-playing career
Nomo was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, only the third ever to be selected in their first year of eligibility.[12] At the time, he was also the youngest player ever elected to that Hall of Fame, although his record was broken in 2018 by Hideki Matsui.[13]
Prior to the 2016 season, the
Playing style
With an overhand delivery, Nomo threw a fastball topping out at 95 mph and a forkball as his primary pitches.[18]
Nomo was known for his signature windup, known as "The Tornado". He began by slowly raising his arms high above his head before lifting his front leg and twisting his torso until his back faced home plate. Then, he hurtled toward the plate with an explosive delivery that featured the same arm speed for all his pitches.[19]
In popular culture
During his time with the
A song about Nomo, "There's No One Like Nomo" performed by Jack Sheldon, written by Marvin Hamlisch and Alan and Marilyn Bergman, was released by GNP Crescendo Records (GNPD 1406) in 1996.[20]
Nomo has been referenced in
Professional wrestler Mitsuhide Hirasawa adopted the ring name Hideo Saito, partially in homage to Nomo.[22]
In the Japanese dub of the
See also
- Eiji Sawamura Award
- List of Boston Red Sox no-hitters
- List of Los Angeles Dodgers no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players from Japan
- Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders
References
- ^ "Nomo retires from baseball". Losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Remembering the unlikeliest no-hitter of all time". MLB.com. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Jeremiah (September 1, 2020). "The Coors Field Problem". SportsRaid. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Stephen, Eric (August 12, 2015). "Hisashi Iwakuma hurls no-hitter for Mariners". SBNation.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Whiting, Robert (October 10, 2010). "Contract loophole opened door for Nomo's jump". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders". Baseball-reference.com.
- ^ Moore, Jack (September 17, 2015). "Throwback Thursday: Hideo Nomo Defies The Odds For A Coors Field No-No". Vice. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "Most Popular". CNN. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ^ "In 8th MLB start, Astros righty Ronel Blanco fires 1st no-no of '24". MLB.com. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ "www.kansascity.com | 01/03/2008 | Royals sign veteran Japanese pitcher Nomo". Archived from the original on January 5, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
- ^ "Nomo designated for assignment". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ Stephen, Eric (January 17, 2014). "Hideo Nomo elected to Japan Baseball Hall of Fame". truebluela.com. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ^ McIntosh, Whitney (January 16, 2018). "Hideki Matsui was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame". SB Nation. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- ^ Brock, Corey (February 11, 2016). "Padres hire Nomo as baseball ops advisor". MLB.com. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Brock, Corey (March 1, 2016). "Nomo eager to broaden Padres' Pacific Rim presence". MLB.com. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
- ^ Sanders, Jeff (September 7, 2019). "Talking with Padres reliever David Bednar". sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ Crouse, Jake (March 3, 2021). "David Bednar delighted to play for hometown Pirates". MLB.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ BASEBALL; Dodgers Cut Nomo Loose And Will Try to Trade Him, The New York Times
- The Los Angeles Times
- ^ Snow, Shauna (October 5, 1995). "RADIOSharpes Off the Air: Jim and Melissa..." The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
- Genius. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^ Harris, Jeffrey (October 23, 2016). "NJPW Road to Power Struggle Results 10.23.16 – Chigane, Japan: Kenny Omega Teamed With The Young Bucks". 411Mania.com. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
Further reading
- Fagen, Herb. Nomo: The Inside Story on Baseball's Hottest Sensation. Friday Harbor, Washington: Turtleback Books, 1996. ISBN 0-451-18884-5.
- Rodman, Edmon J. Nomo: The Tornado Who Took America by Storm. Los Angeles: Lowell House, 1996. ISBN 1-56565-394-7.
- Japan Times, 3 October 2010, p. 22.
- Japan Times, 10 October 2010, p. 18.
- Japan Times, 17 October 2010, p. 18.
- Japan Times, 24 October 2010, p. 22.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Nippon Professional Baseball career statistics from JapaneseBaseball.com
- Nomo Baseball club