ドジャーズスタジアム
“Here is a description of the forfeited game that the Dodgers caused at Dodger Stadium in August 1995.”
“Forfeited game at Dodger Stadium.”
This incident occurred during a game in which Hideo Nomo, who was known for his tornado pitching style at the time, took the mound.
A heated argument erupted between the umpire and then-manager Tommy Lasorda over a controversial call.
Lasorda received an “ejection” announcement from the umpire.
Frustrated and unable to contain his emotions, Lasorda continued to shout.
Lasorda, still agitated, headed towards the third-base stands and urged the fans to throw balls onto the field.
Thousands of balls were thrown onto the field in the direction of the umpire crew, causing a game interruption.
“Why did the balls…”
“On that day, it was the customary Ball Night at Dodger Stadium, a promotional event where fans were being given Nomo’s autographed baseballs. Those very balls turned into weapons and resulted in the game being interrupted.”
“Why the game was forfeited due to…”
“On the day of the game, fans were infuriated by the umpire’s decisions. Frustration over the lack of offense from the team led to fans’ irritation boiling over.
The entire stadium became a cauldron of excitement as the Wave swept through the crowd.
In the fourth-tier seats, fans stomped their feet, creating ground-shaking vibrations in the stands.
The climax came when Manager Lasorda urged fans to throw balls onto the field.
Balls were thrown onto the field in the bottom of the seventh and ninth innings, leading the umpire crew to declare a ‘forfeit game’ in the ninth inning.
This incident marked a rare occurrence in Major League Baseball, the first in 16 years.”
“What is a forfeited game…”
“A forfeited game is a game in which the umpire declares the end of the game due to rule violations, awarding a victory to the team not at fault. Reasons for forfeiture can include ‘refusal to continue the game,’ ‘repeated violations,’ or ‘a team not having 9 players,’ among others.
In this case, the lack of complete order in the stadium was deemed to hinder the resumption of the game, and the hosting team, the Dodgers, was unable to maintain order, resulting in the game being forfeited.
When a game is not completed or the team declared the winner is losing, or in the case of a tie game, the score becomes 9-0.”
“At that time, pitcher Hideo Nomo…”
“Nomo had been maintaining an undefeated streak of 6 wins at Dodger Stadium until this unusual incident occurred.
However, in this particular game, he suffered his first loss, albeit with the possibility of avoiding a losing decision.
“Los Angeles fans had been allowing me to win,” was Nomo’s usual saying.
However, on this day alone, he wore an astonished expression and said, “I can’t understand how the pitcher feels. If there were as many balls as there were mountains…”.”
“Former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was a person who…”
“During his time as manager in the Dominican Republic Winter League, Tommy Lasorda had a heated argument with the umpire over a decision. He exclaimed, ‘You can do whatever you want,’ and angrily threw his bat and balls onto the field. He also discarded his uniform and stood shirtless in a fit of rage.
However, at the time, there was a minor offense law in the Dominican Republic that prohibited being naked in public. As a result, Lasorda was taken into custody after the game.
Lasorda was known for his catchphrase, ‘I have Dodger Blue blood running through me.'”
Tommy Lasorda’s response to a Japanese journalist’s question:
“Nomo put in a lot of effort, but his adaptability was truly remarkable.
Adaptability is a natural talent.
The level of the Major Leagues hasn’t declined; even if Nomo had joined the Dodgers 20 years ago, he would have done just fine.
The first words I exchanged with Nomo were, ‘Do you like pasta?’ That’s because I don’t want to talk to someone who doesn’t like pasta. There aren’t many bad people who like pasta.
Nomo’s pitching form is unique and fantastic. It excites those who watch it.
Some say Nomo doesn’t speak much to the media, but he’s really a fun guy. He had a language barrier, and Japanese players have their own league, so I don’t think we’ll see more Japanese players coming.
Nomo came because there were misunderstandings with the coach and the team, and he had a long-standing desire to play in the majors. There were circumstances that compelled him to make the move to the majors.
I don’t have a specific preference for Japanese players. The Dodgers are a successful team that acquires players from all over the world.”
“Japanese players who have been part of the team throughout history.”
Here are the Japanese players who have played for the team over the years:
16 – Hideo Nomo (1995 – 1998, 2002 – 2004)
17 – Kazuhisa Ishii (2002 – 2005)
60 – Yūki Kida (2003 – 2004)
66 – Norihiro Nakamura (2005)
44 – Takashi Saito (2006 – 2008)
18 – Hiroki Kuroda (2008 – 2011)
18 – Kenta Maeda (2016 – 2019)
21 – Yu Darvish (2017)
28 – Kyoji Tanigawa (2021)
17 – Shohei Ohtani (2024 – )
18 – Yonny Hernandez (2024 – )
summary
ドジャーズのロゴマーク
The Dodgers, under new ownership by the Guggenheim Group in 2012, have maintained the highest payroll among all 30 MLB teams since 2014, making them a wealthy franchise.
As former manager Tommy Lasorda once said, “The Dodgers are a team that acquires players from all over the world and achieves success,” and indeed, they are a multinational team with players from countries like Mexico, South Korea, Japan, the Dominican Republic, and more, who have showcased their talents.
Prior to Shohei Ohtani, eight Japanese players, including Hideo Nomo, have been a part of this team.
It’s understandable why Shohei Ohtani chose the Dodgers as his destination. However, it’s worth noting that this team has also been known for its intriguing incidents in the past.