Dodgers Legend Has the Coolest 'Pay it Forward' Tradition in Baseball

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 3, 2024

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

For 13 years, San Diego Padres front office advisor and former Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Hideo Nomo has flown kids from Japan to San Diego for a week of baseball activities in Southern California.

These kids get the chance to practice and play against American teams, attend a Padres game with batting practice passes, and even meet some of their favorite players.

Bump for the 2024 class. Really cool experience for these kids from Japan, who are so excited to be at Petco and to meet #Padres players (courtesy of Hideo Nomo). https://t.co/YJrZk7qptx pic.twitter.com/xQQllfBfhA

— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) August 20, 2024

Nearly 30 years ago, Nomo paved the way for Japanese pitchers in Major League Baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him in 1995, making him the second player from a Japanese professional baseball league to reach the majors, following Masanori Murakami of the San Francisco Giants (1964–65).

Before coming to the Dodgers, Nomo had a standout career in Japan with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, where he won the league’s Most Valuable Player award and the Sawamura Award (Japan's Cy Young equivalent) as a rookie in 1990.

Nomo made an immediate impact in MLB, earning the nickname "The Tornado" for his unique pitching style. He led the National League in strikeouts with 236, started in the All-Star Game, and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1995.

Over his 12-season MLB career, Nomo spent seven seasons with the Dodgers, with the rest spread across several teams — the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Kansas City Royals.

Hideo Nomo threw the first of his two career no-hitters at Coors Field! 🔥#AAPIHeritageMonth pic.twitter.com/NFvxxt0T7a

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 4, 2024

The kids witnessed a great game on Aug. 20 featuring the Padres’ 32nd comeback win of the season. Manny Machado and Jurickson Profar hit crucial late-game homers to secure a 7-5 victory over the Twins. Machado’s two-run shot in the seventh tied the game at 3-3, and Profar’s homer in the bottom of the eighth sealed the win.

“We’re just having a good time when we’re playing,” Machado said. “Playing in front of this crowd at home gives us that extra motivation.”

The Dodgers certainly paid forward a tradition to the country of Japan by establishing a pipeline for Nomo and others to play in Major League Baseball. After Nomo left for the Dodgers, MLB and NPB literally changed their rules to establish what would become the modern-day posting system.

Now, Nomo is paying it forward to his native country in his own way, with his own tradition.