Ryosuke Nomura (野村 亮介, Nomura Ryosuke, born July 9, 1993 in Shimizu, Shizuoka)[1] is a former Japanese baseball pitcher who played for Chunichi Dragons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He now serves the team as a batting practice pitcher.

Ryosuke Nomura
Chunichi Dragons – No. 114
Batting-practice Pitcher
Born: (1993-07-09) July 9, 1993 (age 30)
Shimizu, Shizuoka, Japan
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
debut
June 25, 2015, for the Chunichi Dragons
Last NPB appearance
2015, for the Chunichi Dragons
NPB statistics
(through 2015)
Innings2.2
ERA10.13
Strikeouts1
Teams

The Chunichi Dragons drafted him in the first round of the 2014 draft.[2]

Early career edit

Born in Shimizu in Shizuoka Prefecture, Nomura started playing baseball from his first year of elementary school with the Sakata Little Giants.[1][3] In his third year of middle school, he played for Sakata Shimizu at the National rubber-ball Baseball Championships.[1]

He attended Shimizu High School where in his third year he appeared in the 2011 Spring Senbatsu tournament.[1][3] In the first game he conceded three earned runs as winning pitcher against Kyoto Seisho and would in the second game throw a complete game for 3 earned runs but would unfortunately be on the losing end against Nichidaisan High.[3][4] In the Summer Koshien Shizuoka prefectural tournament in the same year, Nomura's team got to the quarter-finals before being bundled out by Tokoha Gakuen Kikukawa High School.[1][5]

He chose not to go through the university leagues and was picked up by the Mitusbishi-Hitachi Power Systems Yokohama baseball team that plays in the industrial leagues where in his first year he took part in the Intercity baseball tournament.[6] In his second year he started 9 games for a 7.71 ERA but, after improvements and adjustments to his throwing form, Nomura came back in his third year with a 2.11 ERA.[3] He was subsequently selected to represent Japan at the 2014 21U Baseball World Cup.[7]

At the 2014 NPB Draft held on 23 October 2014, Nomura was selected as the first draft pick for the Chunichi Dragons and was given a ¥100,000,000 signing on bonus plus ¥5,000,000 in incentives to go with a ¥15,000,000 yearly salary.[8] In the draft, it was Yasuaki Yamasaki who received the most attention and was to be expected to be subjected to first choice picks from almost all teams [9] but as Dragons GM Hiromitsu Ochiai rated Nomura very highly,[6] his selection was recommended to player-manager Motonobu Tanishige and the decision was made. Following Nomura's selection, Tanishige commented that "we have selected a player that can enter the starting rotation. He is a player with great control and stamina; someone we think is the most complete starting pitcher (available)."[10]

He was given the number 20 formally worn by Chunichi aces Shigeru Sugishita, Hiroshi Gondoh, Senichi Hoshino and Tatsuo Komatsu.[11] The number was relieved by the departure of Kenichi Nakata in the 2013 off-season.

Following the draft, he took part in the IBAF 2014 21U Baseball World Cup pitching as a closer in 3 games without conceding but gave up 5 hits and 2 earned runs in the final against Taiwan.[12]

Professional career edit

Chunichi Dragons edit

2015 edit

On 25 June 2015, in a game against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows at the Nagoya Dome, Nomura made his debut relieving in the 9th inning. While he was able to take care of his first batter, Naomichi Nishiura, he would finish the game having walked 4 while giving up 3 earned runs.[13]

He finished the season having made 3 appearances, pitching 2.2 innings for a 10.13 ERA.[14]

In the Western League he made 14 appearances with a 1–2 record, pitching 34.1 innings with 23 strikeouts and a 3.41 ERA.[15]

On 17 November, as Nomura failed to live up to expectation, his yearly salary was heavily slashed by senior management, reduced by ¥3,700,000 to ¥11,300,000.[16]

2016 edit

Nomura failed to make any appearances for the first team in 2016 and further had his salary slashed as a result from ¥11,300,000 to ¥8,480,000.[17]

2017 edit

Nomura once again failed to make an impact in 2017 and was cut from the team on October 4.[18] Nomura later rejoined the club as a batting practice pitcher.[19]

Pitching Style edit

In his third year in the industrial leagues, Nomura clocked a high of 149 km/h with his fastball.[1][3] He can also throw a variety of off-speed pitches including a curve, slider, forkball and cutter.[1]

According to Dragons GM, Hiromitsu Ochiai, Nomura is "a pitcher that is everywhere" and was especially impressed on the third time he watched the player as the quality of his pitches never fell when he was seen as a closing pitcher.[20]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "最速149キロ!三菱日立PS・野村亮介(Top speed 149km/h! Mitsubishi-Hitachi PS, Ryosuke Nomura)". Sanspo. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  2. ^ "ドラフト会議速報 Vol.1(A prompt report of draft Vol.1)". Chunichi Dragons. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
  3. ^ a b c d e "中日長身侍、野村「新人王狙う」(Chunichi's tall Samurai, Nomura "I'm aiming for rookie of the year")". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 24 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  4. ^ "第83回選抜高校野球 3月29日第2試合結果 (Results of the 83rd Senbatsu Tournament March 29th, 2nd Round)". Sponichi (in Japanese). 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  5. ^ "静清・野村134球目力尽く/静岡大会 (Shimizu, Nomura throws down an appealing 134 pitches/Shizuoka Tournament)". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 26 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  6. ^ a b "落合GM高評価!中日 長身1メートル87社会人右腕指名へ(Chunichi GM, Ochiai's high rating! 187cm tall industrial league right arm chosen)". Sponichi (in Japanese). 11 October 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  7. ^ "第1回 IBAF 21U ワールドカップ、代表18名を発表!(18 selected for the IBAF 2014 21U Baseball World Cup)". Samurai Japan Official Website (in Japanese). 21 October 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  8. ^ "中日ドラ1野村、仮契約「抑えより先発」(Chunichi Draft pick #1 Nomura, provisional contract; more starter than closer)". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 30 November 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  9. ^ "ドラフト戦線異常アリ! 2014年のキーワードは「外れ1位」(中日編) (Draft Battle Strategy Anomaly! The Chunichi keyword for the 2014 draft is "we're not getting 1st")". Real Live. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  10. ^ "中日1位野村に谷繁兼任監督「即戦力」(Chunichi's first pick Nomura is "ready to fire" according to manager, Tanishige)". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 23 October 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  11. ^ "中日ドラ1野村「星野魂」受け継ぐ(Draft pick #1 Nomura carries on the "Hoshino Spirit"". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 12 December 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  12. ^ "日ドラ1野村痛恨…救援で2失点、準V(Chunichi's Draft #1 Nomura's great regret, 2 earned runs relief)". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 17 November 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  13. ^ "期待通り?期待外れ? 2014年ドラフト1位ルーキー通信簿(As expected? Underwhelming? 2014 Draft #1 report card)". MyNavi News (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  14. ^ "2015 Chunichi Dragons Individual Pitching (Central League)". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  15. ^ "2015 Chunichi Dragons Individual Pitching (Western League)". Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  16. ^ "中日野村は370万円↓「悔しい気持ちはあった」(Chunichi's Nomura down 3.7M. "It didn't feel good")". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 17 November 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  17. ^ "中日野村282万減、来季は「最初からフル稼働」" [Chunichi's Nomura down to 8.4M yen; Next season "back to basics"]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 22 November 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  18. ^ "戦力外通告の中日・野村、3年間の重圧明かす「1位入団の不安あった」" [Released Chunichi pitcher Nomura's 3-years of pressure "I always felt uneasy being selected first"]. SANSPO.COM (in Japanese). 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  19. ^ "戦力外の野村は打撃投手 中日スタッフ発表" [Released Nomura returns as batting practice pitcher, Chunichi staff announcement]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  20. ^ "中日・落合GMが考えるドラフト戦略――「高卒の小笠原も即戦力という位置づけ」(Chunici's GM Ochiai thinks draft strategy: High Schooler Ogasawara one that could fit straight in)". Baseball Channel (in Japanese). 1 November 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2016.

External links edit