Katsuya Nomura, 84, Enduring Star of Japanese Baseball, Dies

After managing in Japan’s industrial league from 2003 to 2005, Nomura returned to the pro ranks in 2006 to manage the Rakuten Golden Eagles, who had entered the Pacific League a season earlier. After three losing seasons, the Eagles made the postseason in Nomura’s fourth and final year with the team.

As a manager, he won 1,565 games, lost 1,563 and tied 76 times.

Nomura was often called “Grumpy Grandpa” for his gruff and unsparing manner. Some players felt the tough love helped them.

“Nomura taught me what pitching is and what baseball is from scratch,” said the Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who started his career with Rakuten. “That I met Nomura from my first year as a pro when he instructed me was the luckiest thing in my baseball life.”

Other players saw Nomura’s style differently, particularly those he berated in person and in the news media. He was also cold to some foreign players, according to Robert Whiting. After taking over the Swallows, Nomura released Larry Parrish, another former Major League Baseball infielder, who had led the league in home runs the year before. He also released Tom O’Malley, who hit over .300 in his two seasons with Yakult. When the Hanshin Tigers refused to release the pitcher Darrell May in 1999, he issued a statement that accused Nomura of being xenophobic.

Katsuya Nomura was born on June 29, 1935, in Amino, a town in Kyoto Prefecture near the Sea of Japan. Nomura’s father, who was stationed in China, died when his son was a boy.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/sports/baseball/katsuya-nomura-dead.html?emc=rss&partner=rss