Hideo Nomo

Hideo Nomo
野茂英雄
Hideo Nomo; 野茂英雄
	Nomo with the Columbus Clippers in 2005
	Pitcher
	Born: 31 August 1968 (age 56); 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 at Baseball Reference
Teams
	Kintetsu Buffaloes (1990–1994); 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); Kansas City Royals (2008);
Career highlights and awards
	NPB 5× NPB All-Star (1990-1994); Pacific League MVP (1990); Eiji Sawamura Award (1990); Triple Crown (1990); Pacific League Rookie of the Year (1990); Best Nine Award (1990); MLB All-Star (1995); NL Rookie of the Year (1995); 2× Strikeout leader (1995, 2001); Pitched two career no-hitters (1996, 2001);
Member of the Japanese
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2014
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing Japan
Olympic Games
Asian Baseball Championship
Intercontinental Cup

Hideo Nomo (野茂英雄, Nomo Hideo, born 31 August 1968) is a Japanese former baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1990 to 1994. 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 the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. Although he was not the first Japanese player in American professional baseball, Nomo is often credited with opening the door for Japanese players in MLB, due to his star status.^[1]

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" pitching windup and delivery. In 2014, Nomo was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

^ "Nomo retires from baseball". Losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. 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.

[1] "Nomo retires from baseball". Losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2022.

[2] "Remembering the unlikeliest no-hitter of all time". MLB.com. Retrieved January 11, 2024.

[3] Wilson, Jeremiah (September 1, 2020). "The Coors Field Problem". SportsRaid. Retrieved January 11, 2024.

[4] Stephen, Eric (August 12, 2015). "Hisashi Iwakuma hurls no-hitter for Mariners". SBNation.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.

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