Don Nomura NPB was no longer bound to their NPB team outside Japan and was free to sign overseas without violating the working agreement. After the 1994 season Nomura assisted star NPB pitcher Hideo Nomo in testing the loophole. After failing to reach a contract agreement with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, Nomo retired from NPB and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. In 1998 he represented Hideki Irabu, whose contract was sold by the Chiba Lotte Marines to the San Diego Padres. Irabu stated that he would only play for the New York Yankees, and refused to sign with the Padres.
Dominican Republic national baseball team Republic’s win over the US set a new Marlins Park record for baseball game attendance with 37,446. Manny Machado of the Dominican Republic was named MVP for the first round Pool C bracket of the WBC, after batting .357. The Dominican Republic team participated in the 1992 Games, the first medal competition for the sport, and finished 6th. The team failed to qualify for another competition before baseball was eliminated from the Olympics after the 2008 Games. Dominican Republic national baseball team The Dominican Republic national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Dominican Republic. The team has