1995

March 2, 1995

Hideo Nomo arrives in Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. Nomo had signed a National Association contract with the Dodgers after retiring from the Japanese Professional League and if he made the major league team, would be the first Japanese player since Masanori Murakami of the San Francisco Giants in 1965 to pitch in the big leagues. Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said of Nomo, "We're hoping and looking for him to be one of the starters on our pitching staff in 1995." 1

April 8, 1995

Hideo Nomo threw two scoreless innings in an intrasquad game at Dodgertown in his first appearance against major league hitters. 2

April 13, 1995

- With 13 television cameras watching his every motion, Hideo Nomo pitched two hitless innings in an exhibition game. In the fifth inning, he walked the bases loaded and retired the side in order in the sixth inning. Catcher Mike Piazza and pitching coach Dave Wallace visited Nomo in the fifth inning when his control left him. Wallace spoke the phrase in Japanese "Get the ball down" from Nomo's translator to Nomo, but Nomo said the sentence was incorrect. Nomo said of Wallace, "Maybe Dave forgot his Japanese." 3

April 17, 1995

Hideo Nomo continued to make his argument to open the 1995 season as a member of the Dodger pitching staff as he pitched four scoreless innings against the New York Yankees. The only hit allowed by Nomo in the four innings was a single by Don Mattingly, a future Manager of the Dodgers. 4

April 19, 1995

New York Met outfielder Bobby Bonilla said that if New York Met outfielder Brett Butler was caught hugging Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda before a game, the Mets' kangaroo court would fine Butler $500. So when the former Dodger outfielder saw Lasorda, they only shook hands. However, Lasorda wasn't done. Before the game, Lasorda said hello to Met outfielder Bobby Bonilla and pretended to shake his hand. Then Lasorda hugged Bonilla, putting Bonilla on the hook for the fine. Said Lasorda, "I got him (Bonilla) good." 5

April 20, 1995

Dodger President Peter O'Malley gives the 1955 Brooklyn Dodger World Championship Banner to the Brooklyn Historical Society. The banner had been removed by sportswriters at the 1959 World Series press room in Los Angeles and they had wanted to donate it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. O'Malley informed the Hall of Fame the banner was improperly donated and it was returned to O'Malley and he provided it to the Historical Society. 6

April 23, 1995

Henry Rodriguez hit four home runs in an exhibition game at Holman Stadium in Dodgertown. However, his bat and cap did not go to Cooperstown's Baseball Hall of Fame as the game was not a regular season game. Rodriguez did autograph and date 12 baseballs for Dodger President Peter O'Malley to commemorate his achievement. 7

April 24, 1995

The Dodgers announced that right hand pitcher Hideo Nomo would make his major league debut on May 2nd against the San Francisco Giants. The game is to be played in San Francisco. 8