1995 Los Angeles Dodgers season games. He later became a firefighter. 1995 Los Angeles Dodgers season The 1995 Los Angeles Dodgers season was notable for the American baseball debut of Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo. In his first season with the Dodgers after an accomplished career in the Japanese leagues, Nomo went 13-6 with a 2.54 ERA and a league leading 236 strikeouts. He was the starting pitcher in the All-Star game and won the Rookie of the Year award. The Dodgers won the National League's Western Division title, but lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS. The division series was played between Los Angeles
Hideo Nomo off waivers by the New York Yankees, who signed him to a minor league contract, but never recalled him. Nomo was signed to a minor league contract by the Chicago White Sox during spring training in to play for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights of the International League, but the White Sox released him on June 7 of that year. In , Nomo signed on with the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League, managed by his former catcher, Carlos Hernández. His participation in the Venezuelan league was viewed as a first step toward an eventual Major League comeback. He