Hideo Nomo Calls it a Career
By Blake VandeBunte • Jul 19th, 2008 • Category: Hideo NomoFormer Tiger pitcher, Hideo Nomo has officially retired. Nomo threw a few innings with Kansas City this spring and it was clear he was done. He has now made it official.
Nomo is most famous for being the first Japanese player to really dominate in the Major Leagues. Nomo was named the National League Rookie of the Year with the Dodgers back in 1995. He had a strange delivery as he turned his back all the way to the plate before whirling around and whipping the ball towards home plate. Nomo also has the distinction of throwing a no hitter in each league (one with the Dodgers and one with the Red Sox).
Nomo played one season for the Tigers back in 2000. He went 8-12 with a league average ERA of 4.74. He struck out 181 batters in 190 innings that season, giving the Tigers their first power pitcher since I began watching. I remember thinking it was pretty cool that we finally had a “popular” player on our roster. 2000 was actually a really nice season for the Tigers as they went 79-83, the best mark of the Randy Smith era.
Nomo lasted only one season in Detroit as he was released by the club in November of 2000. He was picked up by the Red Sox and threw a no-hitter in his first start with them. This coupled with the Tigers completely blowing things up in 2001 was a pretty big gut punch. Nomo won 13 games in 2001 for Boston.
In 4.1 innings with the Royals this season he gave up 9 earned runs and three homers. He also walked four batters and threw a wild pitch. Time to hang them up.
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