When we look at the Japanese players in MLB, a few names immediately click in our minds. Ichiro Suzuki, Yu Darvish, Shohei Ohtani, and Masahiro Tanaka. All of them generated a level of frenzy that we’ve never seen (especially Ohtani) but then they weren’t the OG. It was someone else, it was the man who paved the path for them. The first Japanese superstar in America was the tornado himself – Hideo Nomo.

The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed an iconic guest just before their game on June 10th. It was the man who debuted in Blue and set up the Blue Crew’s unending Japanese legacy. Nomo visited his old home to meet the two products of his hard work – Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. So who is Hideo Nomo and just how big of an impact did he make on the future generations of Japanese players in MLB?

Hideo Nomo – the iconic tornado that blew the world

Before Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s media frenzy, it was Hideo Nomo who first gave a glimpse of stardom in the 1990s. Nomo was an All-Star in all of his 5 years with NPB’s Kintetsu Buffaloes, Nomo. On top of that, he was the Pacific League MVP, Eiji Sawarmura Award Winner, and also a rare Triple Crown winner. If that’s not enough, Nomo led the league in Strikeouts during his stay there. But that was just a glimpse of what Nomo would do.

By 1995, Hideo Nomo had come to a profound decision – it was time to become a major leaguer. And of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers were right there for him. Yes Nomo wasn’t the first Japanese player in MLB, in fact, there were quite a few before him. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t unique. After all, Nomo wasn’t just coming here as a guest, he was making the USA a home. No other Japanese player had done so yet, but Nomo’s ambition made him take the tough decision of permanently moving to the US.

So Hideo Nomo made the transition and boy, was it memorable. His tornado windup bamboozled the best in the league. But more than that, it completely enraptured the attention of every single baseball fan. This was something no one had ever seen before, this was something truly special. It is not wrong to say that during his heyday, Nomo generated a frenzy close to what Shohei Ohtani does right now.

Japanese tourists filled hotels wherever Nomo went to play. The media surrounded him all the time. On top of that, he leveled up on his on-field abilities. The superstar was an All-Star and the Rookie of the Year in 1995. But that isn’t enough for the history man, is it? So Hideo Nomo also threw two no-hitters in MLB (1996 and 2001). For a while, he was the only Japanese pitcher to do so. Nomo was at the peak of Japanese stardom, the man who became a part of the pop culture. Perhaps that’s why one can say that he opened up a lot of doors for players like Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And that includes the commercial doors.

How “The Tornado” opened commercial avenues for Shohei Ohtani and others 

While Hideo Nomo’s peak was relatively small, his impact was everlasting. For starters, he became a bonafide superstar during his Los Angeles Dodgers days. This meant that multiple brands wanted to be associated with him. As a result, Nomo signed a deal with Nike which gave him his signature sneaker, the Air Max Nomo. That was a huge deal for a Japanese athlete at the time and it showed just how huge Nomo’s stardom was. 

Later he also appeared on a commercial for Sega Saturn. The song “There’s No One Like Nomo” was written for him in 1996. Even Hip-Hop artists regularly referenced Nomo. Basically, Hideo Nomo was the trailblazer who started the saga of Japanese superstars. A saga that ultimately led to Shohei Ohtani, who is perhaps the biggest baseball star in the world today. So is it a surprise that the Dodgers not only invited Nomo but showed off their rich Japanese history by taking a picture of its Japanese stars together? It certainly isn’t.

So in the end, there might not be a Shotime without a Tornado. That’s the kind of legacy enjoyed by Hideo Nomo. Now Shohei Ohtani has taken it to another level but then perhaps someone else might take it even higher. It’s baseball – anything can happen here.