Around this time there are always a few contracts that cause me to raise an eyebrow. Yabu to S.F. was pretty odd. The Pirates resigning Masumi Kuwata was mildly surprising. Park Chan-ho back to L.A. was amusing.
Last I heard Hideo Nomo was “done,” as one scout working at Venezuelan league delicately put it. At the time his ERA was over eight and I felt sorry for the guy. But here he is getting signed to a minor league deal with the Royals. This is shocking. I would have been less surprised to see Nomo join Jose Lima for some Limanomomanaitime here in Korea.
It’s good timing for me just hours ago I finished a Rewind Chronicle piece called “When Nomo Was King (Again),” about his brief returnto glory with the Red Sox circa…2001. It was meant more-or-less as a post-career-mortem piece. In the back of my mind, as I wrote it I wondered if Nomo would move back to Japan or settle down in the states now that his career was over. I’ll put the piece up sometime tomorrow.
Another Royal signing I’d been meaning to mention was that of Tsao Chin-Hui, who was also signed to a minor league deal. I’d hoped here on the site that someone would give him a shot and I think the Royals will be pleasantly surprised. Nomo, I’m not so sure of, but Tsao hasn’t really gotten a fair shake and pitched very well early last season for the Dodgers before getting hurt again.
8 responses so far ↓
1 SkinnySteve // Jan 5, 2008 at 8:54 am
As a Royals fan it doesn’t surprise me in the least.
2 A.S. // Jan 5, 2008 at 9:52 am
This could make for some very interesting games*
*in Omaha
3 Swi // Jan 5, 2008 at 1:48 pm
This is an extreme signing. I guess you never know.
4 jackson // Jan 5, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I’ve heard major leaguers describe Nomo’s stuff as ‘the worst in the league’. Hopefully he’s developed some kind of new hitch in his delivery to confuse batters.
5 John Brooks // Jan 6, 2008 at 12:22 pm
This could make for some very interesting games*
*in Omaha
Yeah, it be very interesting for the autograph seekers at AAA games.
6 DFK... // Jan 6, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I’m curious if anyone here thinks he’ll see the light of day in MLB….I can’t even take a guess….I saw one thing that said he gave up 2 runs over his last 6 innings of work in Venezuela. That was during two appearances.
I’ll say he gets at least a start or two.
7 John Brooks // Jan 7, 2008 at 8:36 am
It doesn’t look like the Royals have him in mind as a starter. His contract includes incentives for games appeared, signaling that there looking at him as a reliever not a starter.
8 SkinnySteve // Feb 21, 2008 at 9:35 am
This guy (http://www.ranyontheroyals.com/2008/02/interlude.html) has a take on this:
“I see no harm in bringing him in. His success was so dependent on his splitter that if he finds it again, I suppose he could be successful again. The bullpen has always been a haven for broken-down starters, and the splitter is definitely a pitch that translates well there. But I think it’s telling that the Royals signed him without ever scouting him over the winter: they really don’t care how he pitched. He’s here for one reason, to be Yasuhiko Yabuta’s buddy. If he shows something on the mound, great. But let’s not talk about him anymore unless and until he does.”
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