Padres News: Hideo Nomo’s Inspiring Baseball Tradition with Young Fans

Hideo Nomo, a front office advisor for the San Diego Padres, has been bringing a group of young baseball players from Japan to San Diego for 13 years.

This initiative allows these kids to engage in a week filled with baseball activities, including practice sessions and games against American teams.

They also get the chance to attend a Padres game, complete with batting practice passes and meet some of their favorite players.

Nomo, who paved the way for Japanese pitchers in Major League Baseball, first made headlines when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995.

He was only the second player from Japan to reach the majors, following Masanori Murakami, who played for the San Francisco Giants in the 1960s.

Nomo had a successful career in Japan before joining the MLB, where he won multiple awards and quickly became a standout player.

During the recent game the kids attended, the Padres secured their 32nd comeback win of the season, defeating the Minnesota Twins 7-5.

Key contributions came from Manny Machado and Jurickson Profar, who hit crucial home runs late in the game. This victory marked another impressive achievement for the Padres, who have won 22 of their last 27 games.

“I think we’re just having a good time when we’re playing,” Machado said. “And when we come home, and we play in front of this crowd, it just gives us that extra motivation.”

The Padres continue to find ways to win, often rising to the occasion in critical moments. Their ability to perform under pressure has been a defining characteristic of their recent success.

We just continue to fight,” said Machado , who proceeded to channel his inner Yogi Berra. “'Til the game’s over, the game’s not over.”