I got pretty pumped up recently when it was announced that the Dodgers would be bringing Chan Ho Park in for a look during Spring Training. As you could imagine, I was equally stoked to hear that Hideo Nomo would be given an opportunity to make a major league roster (yes, I realize I’m being generous to the Royals here). Kansas City signed Hideo Nomo to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
Any sports fan in LA has to have a space in their heart for Hideo Nomo. He busted onto the scene in the mid-90s with Nomo-mania, then was released after starting to suck a few years later, his splitter no longer a mystery to hitters. After kicking around the bigs from team-to-team, he returned to LA once again where he became a super-stud and ace of the Dodgers staff for a few years. Then Nomo had shoulder surgery and couldn’t break a pane of glass with his fastball, resulting in an ERA higher than Lindsay Lohan pre-rehab. I doubt he’ll be at all effective without any zip on his slowball, but the return is indicative of Nomo’s persistent character; he’s dogged and tough, and was a great warrior with the Dodgers. I hope he’s able to have one last year of success before riding off into the sunset.
