42 Facts About Hideo Nomo

Hideo Nomo is a Japanese retired baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball.

Hideo Nomo achieved early success in his native country, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1990 to 1994.

Hideo Nomo 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.

Hideo Nomo pitched over a span of 13 seasons in the American major leagues with 8 different teams, before retiring in 2008.

Hideo Nomo twice led MLB in strikeouts and threw two no-hitters.

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Hideo Nomo 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.

Hideo Nomo was well known for his distinctive "tornado" pitching windup and delivery.

In 2014, Hideo Nomo was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

Hideo 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.

Hideo Nomo developed his corkscrew-style pitching motion in order to impress his father while playing catch.

Hideo Nomo believed that rotating from having his back turned to his target would help him add speed to his pitches.

Hideo Nomo graduated from Seijo Industrial High School in Osaka where he grew to 188 centimetres and 91 kilograms.

Hideo Nomo honed his forkball and his control while pitching in the Industrial League.

At the 1988 Summer Olympics, Hideo Nomo played for the silver medal-winning Japanese baseball team and the Kintetsu Buffaloes drafted him in 1989.

Hideo Nomo's forkball became famous for being unpredictable for hitters and catchers alike.

Hideo Nomo had become one of the most popular baseball players in Japan but after the 1994 season, Hideo Nomo got into a contract dispute with team management.

Hideo Nomo made his US pro baseball debut with the Bakersfield Blaze on April 27,1995, against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

Hideo Nomo was the first Japanese-born player to relocate permanently to the American major leagues, as Murakami played only two seasons with the San Francisco Giants and then returned to the Japanese major leagues for the remainder of his career.

The pressure on Hideo Nomo would be tremendous, and Japanese media and fans appeared in large numbers in games he started.

Hideo Nomo's games were regularly broadcast live to Japan, despite the fact most people would be waking up when he started games.

Hideo Nomo started that year's All-Star Game, striking out three of the six batters he faced.

Hideo Nomo was named NL Rookie of the Year honors that year over future MVP Chipper Jones.

Hideo Nomo had another fine season in 1996 which was capped by a no-hitter thrown on September 17 in the unlikeliest of places, Denver's Coors Field, a park notoriously known as being a hitters' park because of its high elevation, semi-arid climate, and lack of foul territory.

Hideo Nomo's no-hitter remains as the only one in Coors Field, and was the last Dodger to throw a no-hitter until Josh Beckett completed one on May 25,2014.

Hideo Nomo had a signature sneaker, called the Air Max Hideo Nomo, produced by Nike in 1996.

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Hideo Nomo's performance did not improve and was released that season.

Hideo Nomo reached the 1,000 strikeout mark in 1999, the third fastest in major league history.

Hideo 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.

Hideo Nomo led the league in strikeouts for the first time since his first season in MLB.

Hideo Nomo was signed to a minor league contract by the Chicago White Sox during spring training in 2006 to play for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights of the International League, but the White Sox released him on June 7 of that year.

In 2007, Hideo Nomo signed on with the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League, managed by his former catcher, Carlos Hernandez.

Hideo Nomo made his debut on October 20,2007, against Tiburones de La Guaira.

On January 4,2008, Hideo Nomo signed a minor league contract for 2008 with the Kansas City Royals.

Hideo Nomo loaded the bases, but was able to retire his native countryman, Hideki Matsui, to strand all three runners.

On July 17,2008, Hideo Nomo officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.

Hideo Nomo was known for his signature windup, known as "The Tornado".

Hideo Nomo 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.

Hideo Nomo earned 123 wins in the Major Leagues and 78 in Japan, winning his 200th overall game on June 15,2005.

Hideo 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.

Hideo Nomo has, to date, thrown the only no-hitter at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and at Coors Field.

Hideo 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.

Hideo Nomo has been referenced in hip-hop lyrics by rappers such as Pusha T and Wale.