International Pastime: Hideo Nomo's Trying for a Comeback

International Pastime will look at baseball's influence outside the U.S.

Hideo Nomo was a marvel when he came into the league back in 1995. His windup was so obtuse, so foreign, that all these years later, you could probably still pick up a ball and glove and preform it to perfection. (If you have forgotten what it looks like, peep it here.)

But as what sometimes happens with gimmicky pitchers who win Rookie of the Year honors, your unwieldy delivery goes around the league a few times, it gets figured out and well, you end up as a mere average pitcher. And then, you are out the majors. But alas, there's always a chance at another go-around.

Former major league pitcher Hideo Nomo made his debut in Venezuela's winter league with an eye toward attempting a comeback in the United States.

The 39-year-old Japanese right-hander threw 17 pitches in one inning Saturday night before a rainstorm interrupted play. He was replaced when his team, the Caracas Lions, returned to the field.

Nomo allowed one hit and a sacrifice fly before retiring two batters.

I doubt Nomo is going to crawl all the way back into the majors at the age of 39 -- although, there's always a way around old age decaying your game, wink, wink -- and frankly no matter how this thing pans out, I'll always remember him as the rookie with the insane windup.