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.
Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park is a baseball venue in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. It is home to the University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans college baseball team of the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Sun Conference. It opened on February 1, 2004, when Upstate swept a double header against Tusculum College. The facility has a capacity of 500 spectators. The park is named for Cleveland S. Harley, a Spartanburg-area businessman and philanthropist. Harley played a role in both the university's founding and the development of its athletic programs. The venue also features a press box,