Nomo No More

[love_that_reefer]

Free agent Hideo Nomo announced his retirement on Thursday.
"I want to continue, but I don't think I can deliver a professional-level performance anymore. I believe many clubs think the same way," Nomo told Kyodo News. And he's right. Nomo finished 123-109, with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He threw two no-hitters and paved the way for the influx in Japanese talent over the past decade.

I will never forget that ridiculous windup and the two no-no's he threw in both the AL and NL. So long Nomo!!

[Foster]

The windup was the key, you couldn't pick it up till it was too late.

[missionhockey21]

Nomo was always fun to watch in his prime. And it's amazing to think about how big of a deal it was with a Japanese player of that magnitude in the big leagues, today we take it for granted but not too long ago it was quite something. Its a shame though that Nomo couldn't have ended on a positive note, or at least put up semi-respectable numbers. He did have that resurgence back around 2003 or so, but he really fell apart in his last season in LA and the other clubs he bounced around with.

So long Nomo.

[realmofotalk]

There was a time when I didn't understand anything about the game and pitching rotations, so whenever a Dodger game was on TV and Ismael Valdes was on the mound, I would ask myself "Why isn't Nomo pitching?" Nomo and Mike Piazza were the only reasons for kids to follow Dodger baseball.

[love_that_reefer]

Nomo was always fun to watch in his prime. And it's amazing to think about how big of a deal it was with a Japanese player of that magnitude in the big leagues, today we take it for granted but not too long ago it was quite something. Its a shame though that Nomo couldn't have ended on a positive note, or at least put up semi-respectable numbers. He did have that resurgence back around 2003 or so, but he really fell apart in his last season in LA and the other clubs he bounced around with.

So long Nomo.

He really set us up for Hideki Irabu that little prankster.

[Izzy]

I remembered how big a deal to have a Japan import player to play in MLB, paving the way for many Japanese players like Matsuis, Suzuki, Park, more.

I definitely remembered his tornado-like windup.