Manufacturer: Topps
Set: 1995 Topps Traded Baseball ➡️
Player Name: Hideo Nomo
Position/Team: Pitcher for Dodgers
Card #: 124T
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
Hideo Nomo, nicknamed “The Tornado” for his distinctive pitching windup, was a Japanese pitcher who made a significant impact on baseball history by becoming one of the first Japanese players to successfully make the transition to Major League Baseball. His career spanned from 1995 to 2008 in the MLB, following a successful period in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Nomo was a star in Japan, playing for the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1990 to 1994. He won the Pacific League MVP and the prestigious Eiji Sawamura Award for best pitcher in 1990, his rookie year.
He exploited a loophole in the Japanese baseball contract system to become a free agent, which allowed him to sign with an MLB team. In 1995, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, becoming the first Japanese player to permanently relocate to the MLB. His success opened the door for many other Japanese players to follow. He immediately made an impact, winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1995 and leading the league in strikeouts.
His unorthodox “Tornado” windup, where he would turn his back to the batter and pause before throwing, was a visual spectacle and baffled hitters. Nomo is one of only very few pitchers to have thrown a no-hitter in both the National and American Leagues. In addition to the Rookie of the Year, he was a one-time MLB All-Star (1995) and led the league in strikeouts twice.
Nomo’s career was a trailblazing one that paved the way for future generations of Japanese baseball players in North America, forever changing the landscape of the sport. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
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