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.
Keishi Suzuki strikeouts in eight separate seasons. With 71 career shutouts, he ranks fifth all-time in Japanese professional baseball. Suzuki was also a fairly good hitter for a pitcher, with a lifetime .209 batting average and 13 home runs in the nine seasons he batted before the Pacific League implemented the designated hitter in 1975. After his playing career, he was the manager of the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1993 to 1995, where he managed Hideo Nomo (although the two men did not get along). He was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. With 200+ victories, he is also