Kenjiro Nomura considered a move to MLB in the offseason in 1997… Who was the only person he consulted?
Japanese closers are no longer rare in the major leagues. Outfielder Masanao Yoshida has transferred from Orix to the Red Sox. Looking back, Ichiro went to the Mariners and Tsuyoshi Shinjo went to the Mets in the 2000 off-season, being the first outfielder to do so, but great Japanese infielders were about to challenge the majors before that. Before Hiroshima Kenjiro Nomura. Mr. Nomura, who is currently a baseball referee and visiting professor at the Hiroshima University Sports Center, looked back on many things, including his playing days.
In 1997, Mr. Nomura FA qualification. It was the off-season that year when I debated whether or not to challenge for the majors, but it was a dream even before that. “Above all, I thought how much I could do on the highest peak.” His teammate in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Hideo Nomo, who was active with the Dodgers, was a source of inspiration for him.
“I was on good terms with Nomo, and he is doing well. I saw Robin Ventura, Tino Martinez was in the first, and they were energetic. You had a dream, after all.”
At that time, unlike now, not many things were prepared for the great challenge. Japan didn’t have a proxy system yet, and there wasn’t even a single Japanese fielder, so there were a lot of unknowns. However, Mr Nomura thought seriously about pursuing his dream. There was also talk that the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays (now the Rays) were interested. He wasn’t worried about the financial side at all, but said he didn’t know at all if he would actually get it, whether it was a big contract, a small contract, or a guest player.
So I consulted my teacher Makoto Ota when I was at Koma University. “There was only Mr. Ota for this matter. For me, Mr. Ota is my greatest teacher.” It is said that his former teacher never told him to go or stay. “I’m off the railway track at the moment, and it’s very black at the end of the railway. , If I go to America, something wonderful could happen, and if I stay in Japan, something wonderful could happen.
