Much has been written about ex-major league pitcher Hideo Nomo during the 10 days since he announced his retirement as an active player on July 17.
Most of the stories that have appeared in print and on Web sites centered on his breaking in with the Los Angeles Dodgers 13 years ago and credited the former Kintetsu Buffaloes ace with "opening the door" for the substantial number of Japanese players who have since followed him to the big leagues.
Actually, Nomo's breaking in with the Dodgers was only one of several interesting stories that took place in 1995, a 12-month period filled with good and bad news inside and outside of the baseball and sports worlds. Do you recall in April of 1995 when the U.S. dollar sank in value to less than ¥80?