Biography hideo nomo

The year1995 will be remembered for many big news stories: the murder trial of O.J. Simpson; the assassination of Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; and the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building. But, in the world of sports nothing was more important to baseball and its future in two countries than the Dodgers’ signing of right-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo of Japan.

It took the O’Malley family decades of goodwill, friendships and exchanges with Japan to get to that key moment.

Only one Japan-born player had ever come to America to play in the major leagues. In 1964, the Nankai Hawks’ left-handed pitcher Masanori Murakami, 19, catcher Hiroshi Takahashi, and third baseman Tatsuhiko Tanaka, both 18, were sent to the San Francisco Giants’ minor league system to further their development. Murakami was at Single-A Fresno as an “exchange student,” supposedly for a short period of time. But, Nankai failed to summon him back to Japan during the season and when the Giants’ bullpen ran thin late in their schedule, they promoted Murakami and he made his major league debut then at 20 years old.

That caused a commotion in the off-season between Nankai, professional baseball in Japan, the Giants and Major League Baseball. Nankai sought Murakami’s immediate return to Japan and the Giants wanted him to stay. A compromise was struck so that Murakami would play one additional full season and then return to Nankai. He did go back to the Hawks in 1966 and played for another 17 years.

From that time until 1995, no other Japan-born player participated in Major League Baseball, as rules were established by the governing bodies’ “gentleman’s agreement” to prevent that.    

The O’Malley family began its longtime ties with Japan in 1956. That was the year that Matsutaro Shoriki, the founder of the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, owner of the widely-circulated Yomiuri Shimbun and the “father of professional basebal

Like Babe Ruth, he was a savior for the major leagues when the game was at risk of losing fans. Like Jackie Robinson, he was a courageous pioneer who blazed a trail and opened new doors of opportunity for others to follow. Like Fernando Valenzuela, he was the pride of a specific ethnic community, yet adored by people of all races and creeds. Like Bob Gibson, he was a fierce competitor on the mound, and a friend to all who knew him off the field. Like Luis Tiant, his twisted and contorted windup fooled hitters on every team, and delighted fans in every ballpark. Like Nolan Ryan, his dedication to conditioning and training was legendary, and unmatched by his peers. Like Sandy Koufax, he was a fireball who appeared suddenly and blinded the competition, then faded away. Like Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Tony Gwynn, and countless other greats, he was blessed by the baseball gods with the passion and skills to play the game at a higher level, but was denied the glory of ever winning a World Series. And finally, like Buck O’Neil, his career statistics on the field will (most likely) prevent him from being enshrined in Cooperstown, despite the fact that he is arguably one of the game’s most important ambassadors. When you stop and realize that all of these qualities are embodied in a single ballplayer, you begin to fully appreciate his career, his legacy, and the undeniable truth that there is no one else in the history of game quite like Hideo Nomo.

Nomo was born on August 31, 1968, into a working-class family in the industrial section of Osaka, Japan. His father, Shizuo, and mother, Kayoko, had great hopes for their son, naming him Hideo (pronounced He-day-oh), which translates literally to “excelling man,” but is commonly understood to mean “superman” or “hero” in Japanese.

He started playing baseball with his father at age 5 and by the time he was 12 his dream was to become a professional ballplayer. In the fifth grade he invented his cor

Hideo Nomo was a Major League Baseball player who pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1995-1998), New York Mets (1998), Milwaukee Brewers (1999), Detroit Tigers (2000), Boston Red Sox (2001), Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-2004), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005), and Kansas City Royals (2008).

Hideo Nomo Rookie Card | 1995 Stadium Club Baseball Card (#556)
Baseball Almanac Collection

On September 17, 1996, Hideo Nomo threw his first of two career no-hitters, the first in Major League history by a twirler from Japan, and arguably even more incredible, the first no-no in Coors Field — the most hitter-friendly park in Major League Baseball! Trivia Alert: Do you remember who became the second Japanese pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the majors was? [Answer]

Hideo Nomo No-Hitter | Coors Field | 17 September 1996

Hideo Nomo No-Hitter | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | 4 April 2001

On January 17, 2014, Hideo Nomo was elected to the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame, their third first-ballot inductee, and the youngest player ever inducted (since broken by Hideki Matsui). Tommy Lasorda, via press release, said, "I am so happy and proud to learn of Hideo Nomo's election to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, he is truly a Hall of Famer. When he came to the Dodgers in 1995, I remember taking him under my wing like a son and helping him with the transition. He was quite a pitcher and competitor, but he is also a very special and caring person. The Dodger fans loved him and it became the start of 'Nomomania' in Los Angeles and Japan. Hideo, on behalf of the Dodger organization, congratulations on this prestigious honor. We wish you and your wonderful family many happy and healthy years."