Cubs Sign Nomo to Minor League Deal

Hideo Nomo, who went from National League rookie of the year with the Dodgers in 1995 to the waiver wire this spring, signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

The right-hander will get three or four starts to prove himself at triple-A Iowa before the Cubs decide whether to add him to their roster or cut him.

“It’s a win-win situation,” Cub Manager Jim Riggleman said. “Everybody has seen the upside. Hopefully he can regain that form, come back and pitch similar to what he used to pitch. He’s had a rough time the last year, but who knows? Maybe good things will come from it.”

Nomo, 30, is 49-41 with a 3.66 earned-run average in four seasons with the Dodgers and the New York Mets. After starring in Japan, he joined the Dodgers in 1995 and was nearly unhittable.

But he appeared to lose his touch last season, going 2-7 with the Dodgers before being dealt to the Mets in June in a four-player deal. He was ineffective this spring, going 0-2 with a 7.62 ERA in four appearances.

The Mets gave up on Nomo on March 24, sending him outright to triple-A Norfolk and then putting him on unconditional release waivers two days later. He became a free agent Tuesday.

Nomo received $719,262 termination pay from the Mets instead of a $2,925,000 salary. He will make a base salary of $800,000 if he’s added to the Cubs’ major league roster, with an additional $2 million in incentives possible.

“I think it’s going to be good for us,” Cub right fielder Sammy Sosa said. “He’s got pretty good pitches. When they’re working, nobody can hit him.”

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New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner became angry after watching Hideki Irabu fail to cover first base for the second time in a week during a spring game, calling the pitcher a “fat . . . toad.”

The Yankees beat Cleveland, 7-6, at Tampa, Fla., and were supposed to leave right away for a pair of exhibitions this weekend at Dodger Stadium. But their departure was delayed an hour because of a series of postgame meetings regarding Irabu.

Steinbrenner later said Irabu will remain in Florida to work out before joining the team Tuesday in Oakland.

“He said he wanted to stay behind,” Steinbrenner said. “I just feel this is something they [the other players] and he needs right now.”

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The Yankees signed 17-year-old outfielder-third baseman Willie Mo Pena to a five-year, $3.7-million contract, a spokesman for his agent said.

Pena originally signed with the Mets last year. But on March 7, the commissioner’s office ruled the Mets had illegally signed him--it did not detail the improprieties--and declared him a free agent.

Agent Don Nomura’s office said Pena’s contract included a signing bonus of $2.5 million.

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Atlanta reliever Mark Wohlers, trying to come back from control trouble that threatened to end his career, walked five of the seven batters he faced in a 7-1 loss to the Houston Astros in Kissimmee, Fla.

A day earlier, Brave Manager Bobby Cox indicated Wohlers would take over for Kerry Ligtenberg, out for the season because of an elbow injury. Wohlers had been making progress, walking only six this spring, before struggling against the Astros.

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Cal Ripken Jr. hit his first home run of the spring for Baltimore in a 2-0 victory over Florida in Melbourne, Fla. Ripken rejoined the Orioles on Wednesday after a one-week absence because of his father’s death.

“I’m a little lost,” Ripken said. “I’m in a little bit of a fog. But I assume that will move in the right direction. I take great comfort in getting back into a routine.”

Cal Ripken Sr., a former Oriole manager and coach, died last Thursday at 63 of lung cancer.

“I’ve always felt a deep responsibility for baseball, and that obviously came from my father,” Ripken Jr. said. “It’s not easy. Life’s not easy. But I want to get back into the grind.”

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The Braves acquired right-handed reliever Justin Speier from the Florida Marlins for a player to be named by June 15. Speier, son of former major leaguer Chris Speier, had an 0-3 record with an 8.38 ERA in 18 games with the Marlins last season.

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Major league baseball won’t be selling advertising patches on players’ uniform sleeves for at least another year because of existing licensing agreements, an official said.

Baseball’s agreement with Russell Corp., the sport’s main apparel supplier, runs out after the 1999 season, said Howard Smith, vice president of licensing for Major League Baseball Properties.