Nomo’s Outing Speaks Volumes

Reporters and camera crews pushed, shoved, elbowed and tripped over one another Wednesday afternoon, piling into the Dodger clubhouse. There were nearly 110 people trying to squeeze at once through one small entrance. All for a piece of Hideo Nomo.

They gathered and assembled in front of Nomo’s locker, surrounding him before they learned the news.

Nomo was not talking.

Nomo’s interpreter announced after the Dodgers’ 5-2 defeat to the Houston Astros that there would be no news conference. No gathering with the Japanese newspaper reporters. No caucus with the small American contingent.

Nothing.

For the first time in his brief major league career, Nomo invoked the Fifth Amendment.

It might have been different if Nomo had been successful in his 1996 debut. Maybe his agitation, caused by an incident Tuesday with several Japanese camera crews, would have been eased. Perhaps he even would have relented.

But Nomo was hit hard by the Astros, lasting only four innings in the second-shortest outing of his major league career. He yielded seven hits, five walks and four earned runs and struck out only two batters.

It hardly was vintage Nomo, and the 110-member press corps that came to hear Nomo’s explanation was treated to silence.

“You can only take so much,” Dodger second baseman Delino DeShields said, “and he probably just had enough. It’s probably just been building up for a while. He’s tried to accommodate everybody, but these guys are around him every single day. You can only answer so many questions.

“It’s not a thing where he has a bad disposition. He’s probably just fed up. He needs some room.”

Nomo, whose relationship with the Japanese media this spring was much improved from a year ago, became upset Tuesday while warming up in the bullpen. Nomo, Dodger officials said, requested the camera crews to stop taking pictures after 10 warmup pitches. The photos continued and Nomo took a stance.

He informed his interpreter, Michael Okumura, and Derrick Hall, Dodger public relations assistant, to cancel Wednesday’s news conference. Hall tried to persuade Nomo to change his mind, but Nomo refused. The Dodgers were left trying to soothe about 80 angry Japanese reporters, many who took a flight from Japan to cover Nomo’s debut.

The Dodgers said they don’t believe the distraction was responsible for Nomo’s poor performance, but he was unable to gain control of his forkball and was so wild that he twice walked left fielder James Mouton on four consecutive pitches.

Nomo was able to squirm out of early jams and was trailing, 2-0, in the fifth inning when he had a chance to rectify the situation himself. The Dodgers loaded the bases with none out when Nomo stepped toward the plate. Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda stopped him, telling him to hit the ball in the air.

He swung on the first pitch and hit a bouncer to pitcher Mike Hampton. Hampton threw to home for one out and catcher Tony Eusebio threw to first base for the double play. DeShields then struck out, ending the inning.

Nomo never recovered. Jeff Bagwell led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to left field. Derek Bell followed with another double into the right-field corner, scoring Bagwell. Sean Berry then singled to center, scoring Bell for a 4-0 lead, and sending Nomo out of the game. He has yielded 11 hits, seven walks and seven earned runs in eight innings against the Astros in his two career starts against Houston.

“I believe in Hideo,” DeShields said, “but I don’t expect him to dominate like last year. People are going to make adjustments. This is the big leagues. These are big league hitters. And he’s going to need that room to concentrate on what he needs to do.”