Mets club history with Japanese players

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After spending the better portion of his career with the Dodgers, Hideo Nomo made his way to Queens for the 1998 season. He started 17 games for the Mets that year and went 4-5 with a 4.82 ERA. He never quite made it back to the 95-96 season form that he had with the Dodgers, but he had one of my favorite wind-ups. The long stretch into the air, and a leg kick where he would turn his whole body to be facing the batter. Then the twist forward, and it was as if the ball was slingshot towards the plate. There’s no doubt that this unique wind-up is part of what earned him the nickname “The Tornado.” However, by the time the Dodgers had traded him to the Mets, in June of 98, he didn’t have much of the storm left on the mound.