What Have You Done, Nomo? A Nation Turns Its Eyes to You

In Japan, the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo is a hero.

Nomo’s every appearance has become a matter of national concern, and the results of each game he pitches a fixture on the evening news.

One major paper, the Nikkan Sports, dedicated its whole front page to Nomo and gushed, “Nomo On His Way To All-Star Game.”

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Add Nomo: A commentary in the Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan’s nationally circulated newspapers, showed concern for the young pitcher.

“Baseball in Japan has lost its passion and imagination,” the writer said. “I hope Nomo will not regard baseball as work , forgetting the so-called special ways of Japan, the throngs of Japanese press, and will play baseball to his heart’s content.”

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Trivia time: Nomo set a Dodger rookie strikeout record of 16 Wednesday night. What is the major league rookie record?

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One man’s view: From Bruce Keidan of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Offering Al Davis Super Bowl tickets to keep his team in L.A. is the moral equivalent of giving cutlery to Jack the Ripper.”

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Remembering Howard: A Times sportswriter was invited to an ABC-TV luncheon in New York during the 1971-72 NBA championship series between the Lakers and Knicks. As always, Howard Cosell was dominating the conversation when he turned to the writer and asked him his prediction for the series.

When the writer said that the Lakers would win, Cosell bellowed, “Young man, you are absolutely correct because you agree with me.”

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Add Cosell: Reader George Kiseda recalls an acerbic quote from the late Jimmy Cannon:

“Howard Cosell is the only guy who changed his name and put on a toupee to tell it like it was.”

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No chance: Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Apparently, Warren Sapp came dangerously close to violating Miami’s 10-strikes-and-you’re-out drug policy.”

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Say it ain’t so: Remember the days of Wally World at Anaheim Stadium? Wally Joyner is 33 today.

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Fashion news: Barbie will have an outfit of Olympic clothes for next year’s Games.

The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games has not disclosed terms of the licensing agreement for the dolls, but you will be able to get one for $19.99.

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Looking back: On this day in 1938, slugger Jimmie Foxx was walked in six consecutive at-bats by the St. Louis Browns. The Boston Red Sox won anyway, 12-8.

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Trivia answer: 18, by Montreal’s Bill Gullickson in 1980.

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Quotebook: Boxer Riddick Bowe, on Jorge Luis Gonzalez, his heavyweight opponent Saturday night in Las Vegas: “I went to school with girls who were tougher than Gonzalez. Saturday night he can’t run, he can’t hide. There will be no excuses, no bodyguards.”