| Hideo Nomo 野茂 英雄 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Nomo with theColumbus Clippers in 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: (1968-08-31)August 31, 1968 (age 57) Osaka, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NPB
MLB
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| Member of the Japanese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Induction | 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Hideo Nomo (野茂 英雄,Nomo Hideo; born August 31, 1968) is a Japanese formerbaseballpitcher who played inNippon Professional Baseball (NPB) andMajor League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country, where he played with theKintetsu Buffaloes from1990 to1994. He then exploited a loophole to free himself from his contract, and became the first Japanese major leaguer to permanently relocate to MLB in the United States, debuting with theLos Angeles Dodgers in1995. Nomo became just the second Japanese player in American professional baseball afterMasanori Murakami who played in MLB three decades earlier, and Nomo's star status is often credited with opening the door forJapanese players in MLB.[1]
Nomo pitched over a span of 13 seasons in the American major leagues with eight different teams, before retiring in2008. In 1995, he won theNational League (NL)Rookie of the Year Award and was named anMLB All-Star. He twice led MLB instrikeouts and also threw twono-hitters, including the first no-hitter inCoors 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 theSeattle Mariners'Hisashi Iwakuma did so on August 12, 2015, against theBaltimore Orioles.[4]
Nomo was well known for his distinctive "tornado"pitching windup and delivery. In 2014, Nomo was inducted into theJapanese Baseball Hall of Fame. He currently resides inLos Angeles, California.
Nomo was born inMinato-ku, Osaka, Japan, into the working-class family of Shizuo, afisherman andpostal worker, and Kayoko, a part-timesupermarket employee. As a youth, Nomo was shy and withdrawn, although passionate about baseball.[5] Nomo took up softball at the age of 8 before making the switch to baseball three years later.[6] He developed his corkscrew-style pitching motion in order to impress his father while playingcatch. 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 theNippon Professional Baseball draft due to issues with his control. Instead, in 1988, Nomo joined Shin-Nittetsu Sakai, an Industrial League team representingNippon Steel's branch inSakai, Osaka. During this time, Nomo slept with atennis ball taped between his fingers in order to perfect hisforkball grip.[5]
Nomo honed his forkball and his control while pitching in the Industrial League. At the1988 Summer Olympics, Nomo played for thesilver medal-winningJapanese baseball team.
TheKintetsu Buffaloes ofNippon Professional Baseball (NPB) drafted him in1989. Nomo debuted with them in 1990 and was an immediate success, going 18–8 but more impressively striking out 287 hitters in just 235innings. The strikeout numbers were attributed to his unorthodox wind-up, where he turned his back to the hitter, raised his pivot leg, and paused for a second before throwing. The delivery increased his pitch speed and made it more difficult for batters to spot the ball coming out of his hand. The windup gave him the nickname "Tornado".[5] Nomo won theTriple Crown that year.[citation needed]
In his first four seasons, Nomo was as consistent, and consistently good, as any pitcher inJapanese baseball,winning 17 or 18 games each year. His fifth season in 1994 was marred by a shoulder injury and netted him only eight wins. Nomo's forkball became famous for being unpredictable for hitters and catchers alike.
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 aloophole in the Japanese Uniform Players Contract to enable him to become afree agent. The "voluntary retirement clause" required a retired player who returned to active status to return to their former team if they played in Japan, but he was allowed to play for whomever he wished outside of Japan.[5] This led to him heading to the U.S., where in February 1995, theLos Angeles Dodgers signed him.
Nomo made his U.S. pro baseball debut with theBakersfield Blaze on April 27, 1995, against theRancho Cucamonga Quakes. Placed on a 90-pitch limit, and throwing mainlyfastballs, Nomo pitched5+1⁄3 innings, taking the 2–1loss against the Quakes. On May 2, after a month in theminors necessitated bya player's strike, he became the firstJapanese-born Major Leaguer to appear in a game sinceMasanori Murakami in1965. He was also the first Japanese-born player to relocate permanently to the American major leagues, as Murakami played only two seasons with theSan Francisco Giants and then returned to the Japanese major leagues for the remainder of his career. The pressure on Nomo would be tremendous, and Japanese media and fans appeared in large numbers in games he started. Nomo's games were regularly broadcast live to Japan, despite the fact most people would be waking up when he started games.
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 inwalks) and was second with a 2.54ERA. He struck out 11.101 batters per 9 innings to breakSandy Koufax's single-season franchise record of 10.546 in1962.[7] He also started that year'sAll-Star Game, striking out three of the six batters he faced. He topped out at 93 mph in that game. Nomo was named NL Rookie of the Year honors that year over futureHall of FamerChipper Jones. Nomo had another fine season in1996 which was capped by a no-hitter thrown on September 17 in the unlikeliest of places,Denver'sCoors Field, a notorious hitters' park because of its high elevation, semi-arid climate, and lack offoul territory. Nomo's no-hitter remains the only one in Coors Field, and he was the last Dodger to throw a no-hitter untilJosh Beckett completed one on May 25, 2014.[8][9]
As batters caught on to his delivery, his effectiveness waned a bit in1997, although he still went 14–12, joiningDwight Gooden as the only other pitcher to strike out at least 200 batters in each of his first three seasons.
Nomo pitched poorly in1998, starting the season 2–7, and was dealt to theNew York Mets. His performance did not improve and he was released that season. In1999, he signed with theChicago 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 theMilwaukee 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 thePhiladelphia Phillies claimed him, then granted himfree agency only 24 hours later after more contract issues. Finally signed by theDetroit Tigers in2000, he went 8–12 with a 4.74 ERA and was again released.
Nomo signed with theBoston Red Sox in2001 and started the season in spectacular fashion, throwing his second no-hitter in his Sox debut, on April 4, against theBaltimore Orioles, walking three and striking out 11. This no-hitter was the first in the 10-year history ofOriole Park at Camden Yards and made Nomo the first Red Sox to pitch a no-hitter sinceDave Morehead in1965. Nomo also became just the fourth player in baseball history to have thrown a no-hitter in both leagues (joiningCy Young,Jim Bunning andNolan Ryan;Randy Johnson later joined them, becoming the fifth player after throwing aperfect game in 2004). It was the earliest, calendar-wise, that a Major League Baseball no-hitter had been pitched untilRonel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw a no-hitter on April 1, 2024.[10] 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 in2002. 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 September2003, however, he began to exhibit signs of injury and fatigue.
Nomo began to struggle again in2004. 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 ofspring training for2005, he signed a $800,000 contract with theTampa Bay Devil Rays. The contract also included a $700,000 incentive that kicked in if Nomo started 20 games. The stipulation was allegedly included because Devil Rays upper management was unsure if Nomo had fully recovered from his injury. After a poor start in which he posted a 7.24 ERA, he was released on July 25. Coincidentally or not, this was two days before he was slated to make his twentieth major league start. On July 27, Nomo was picked up off waivers by theNew York Yankees, who signed him to a minor league contract, but never recalled him. Nomo was signed to a minor league contract by theChicago White Sox during spring training in2006 to play for the Triple-ACharlotte Knights of theInternational League, but the White Sox released him on June 7 of that year.
In2007, Nomo signed on with theLeones del Caracas of theVenezuelan Winter League, managed by his former catcher,Carlos Hernández. His participation in the Venezuelan league was viewed as a first step toward an eventual Major League comeback. He made his debut on October 20, 2007, against Tiburones de La Guaira. Nomo pitched one inning, allowing onehit and noruns.
On January 4,2008, Nomo signed aminor league contract for 2008 with theKansas 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.[11] 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 countrymanHideki Matsui to strand all three runners. But he surrendered back-to-back homers toAlex Rodriguez andJorge Posada in the ninth inning. On April 20, Nomo was designated for assignment.[12] 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 asIchiro Suzuki,Hideki Matsui, andDaisuke 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 theNational League andAmerican League inMajor League Baseball history. He has, to date, thrown the only no-hitters atOriole Park at Camden Yards and at Coors Field.
Nomo was elected to theJapanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, only the third ever to be selected in their first year of eligibility.[13] At the time, he was also the youngest player ever elected to that Hall of Fame, although his record was broken in 2018 byHideki Matsui.[14]
Prior to the 2016 season, theSan Diego Padres hired Nomo as Advisor for Baseball Operations, to assist the club with player development and expand their international profile.[15][16]David Bednar has said that he learned hissplitter from Nomo.[17][18]
With an overhand delivery, Nomo threw a fastball topping out at 95 mph and aforkball as his primary pitches.[19]
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.[20]
During his time with theLos Angeles Dodgers, Nomo found commercial success in the States. He had a signature sneaker, theAir Max Nomo, produced byNike in 1996. Also, he appeared on aSegata Sanshiro commercial for theSega Saturn in 1997.
A song about Nomo, "There's No One Like Nomo", performed byJack Sheldon, written byMarvin Hamlisch andAlan and Marilyn Bergman, was released byGNP Crescendo Records (GNPD 1406) in 1996.[21]
Nomo has been referenced inhip-hop lyrics byrappers such asPusha T andWale.[22]
Professional wrestlerMitsuhide Hirasawa adopted the ring name Hideo Saito, partially in homage to Nomo.[23]
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher September 17, 1996 April 4, 2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Los Angeles DodgersOpening Day Starting pitcher 2003–2004 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
