FanHouse Hideo Nomo

It wasn't hard to see this day coming when the Royals designated him for assignment in April but it's still worth noting that Hideo Nomo officially hung up the spikes today. He made the announcement via his web site in a bit of syntax that either lost something in the translation to English or reveals Nomo as some kind of experimental poet.

"Retiring. July 17, 2008. I announced my retirement from my playing career."

Nomo's brief 2008 season showed that he had nothing left to offer at the big league level and it's been quite a while since he's been a good pitcher, none of that should overshadow a very solid big league career. He threw two no-hitters, in 1995 with the Dodgers and in 2001 with the Red Sox, and won the 1995 NL Rookie of the Year. He led the NL and AL in strikeouts once each and finishes with a U.S. record of 123-109. Of course all that came after Nomo won 78 games as a member of the Kinetsu Buffaloes which is why he's so memorable.

Nomo's arrival to the Dodgers ushered in a new era for the major leagues. You need only look at Tuesday's All-Star Game which featured Japanese players in each league's starting lineup for proof of how Nomo's early success changed the way teams look for players.

Hideo Nomo had been out of the game for two full seasons before attempting his comeback with the Royals at age 39, so I'm not exactly surprised to see it didn't work out, as the Royals designated him for assignment after Saturday's game. That sad, I'm still a bummed, if only because it's depressing to see a guy who made his debut while I was still in high school get forced out of the game for being too old.

His stint with the Royals lasted all of 4 and 1/3 innings over three games, but that was enough time for him to give up 10 hits, three home runs and four walks. Considering the rest of the KC's bullpen has given up 12 earned runs combined, Nomo kind of stuck out.

So what's next for the Japanese pioneer? Well, it's not technically out of the question that he'll land with another big league team: the Royals have 10 days to trade or release him. But despite KC's pitching success, the general rule of thumb is that if you're not good enough for the Royals, you're not good enough for the majors.

Personally, I'm hoping that he joins Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, Eric Milton and Jose Mesain a "We Were Good in the 90's!" barnstorming tour around the country taking on high school and American Legion teams for charity, but if that doesn't happen, I guess there's always the Pirates.

Gee, think the Royals aren't looking everywhere for pitching? Like buying a K-Tel best of the '90's CD on eBay, the Royals have dipped into the past and signed Hideo Nomo to a minor league deal.

Nomo said Friday on his official Web site that he has signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals.

"I want to hang in there no matter what, hoping that I won't get injured," the 39-year-old veteran said on his home page.

Good to see that Nomo aims high. But at 39 years old, staying healthy might be the most realistic goal he could have. He hasn't been in the majors since '05 with the Devil Rays, bouncing around the minor league systems of the Yankees and White Sox since then. Yet it'll be nice to see Nomo's helicopter-like delivery once again, reminding everyone of their youth ... of grunge music, A Current Affair, and the Reebok Pump. I love the 90's.

International Pastime will look at baseball's influence outside the U.S.

Hideo Nomo was a marvel when he came into the league back in 1995. His windup was so obtuse, so foreign, that all these years later, you could probably still pick up a ball and glove and preform it to perfection. (If you have forgotten what it looks like, peep it here.)

But as what sometimes happens with gimmicky pitchers who win Rookie of the Year honors, your unwieldy delivery goes around the league a few times, it gets figured out and well, you end up as a mere average pitcher. And then, you are out the majors. But alas, there's always a chance at another go-around.

Former major league pitcher Hideo Nomo made his debut in Venezuela's winter league with an eye toward attempting a comeback in the United States.

The 39-year-old Japanese right-hander threw 17 pitches in one inning Saturday night before a rainstorm interrupted play. He was replaced when his team, the Caracas Lions, returned to the field.

Nomo allowed one hit and a sacrifice fly before retiring two batters.

I doubt Nomo is going to crawl all the way back into the majors at the age of 39 -- although, there's always a way around old age decaying your game, wink, wink -- and frankly no matter how this thing pans out, I'll always remember him as the rookie with the insane windup.