BASEBALL : More Video Than Hideo When Nomo’s in Town

They began gathering at dawn Friday, standing impatiently in front of the clubhouse in Vero Beach, Fla., trying to get the first actual sighting.

He is unknown to most American fans, with no more appeal than a replacement pitcher from Iowa, but to Japan, he is a hero.

Hideo Nomo arrived at Dodgertown, did little more than play catch for 10 minutes, watch minor league practice and chat for 30 minutes at a news conference. Yet every move, every word, was chronicled and heard ‘round Japan.

“This is the biggest story we’ve had since Takanohaana Koji, our grand champion sumo wrestler,” said Yoji Takeshita of the Tokyo Chunichi newspaper.

What happened?

“He got engaged,” Takeshita said. “It would be big anyway, but it was to a local sportscaster, and that made it real big.

“In Japan, athletes get married to sportscasters a lot.

“We have no chance.”

About all Nomo, who received a signing bonus of about $2 million, said was his shoulder will be fine by April, he’s glad to be a Dodger and he got a good night’s sleep after flying from Tokyo.

It mattered little to the folks from the seven Japanese newspapers, five Japanese television stations and two Japanese magazines, most of whom plan to stick around until opening day. This was headline news, and most plan to continue their coverage of Nomo throughout the season, whether he’s in San Antonio, Albuquerque or Los Angeles.

*

While the Dodgers were defeating the Detroit Tigers, 5-3, in front of a paid crowd of 3,079 at Holman Stadium, Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson was home playing golf in Thousand Oaks.

“I miss spring training, but I don’t miss this,” Anderson said in a telephone interview. “I want no part of the other thing. It ain’t baseball. It ain’t right.

“The Tigers are not playing the Dodgers. If you believe that, you believe in the tooth fairy.”

Anderson, 61, who may be without a job when the strike ends, resigned the eve of spring training in protest of replacement baseball.