Quote:
Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector
Nomo had a no hitter in Colorado too i believe..
one issue is that Nomo was here first..so he has to get extra credit for that..
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Totally agree, and in addition to the "extra credit" for coming first, I also think he LEGITEMATELY opened doors for the guys who immediately followed. Had Nomo been lit up as a rookie, lost his rotation spot, maybe been sent down, there's no doubt that at least some of the guys who followed would not have been given their opportunity.
I think it also totally changes things in Japan/Korea/etc. Having a Nomo type figure (and then Ichiro, Matsui, Daisuke, Darvish) to aspire towards is as important as anything for developing the next generation of players. Maybe today's guys develop and reach the MLB as they did without Nomo, but I think the initial progress of Asian players is probably at least delayed a few years without Nomo. And as a more extreme possibility without these icons, maybe fewer kids truly dedicate themselves so fully to baseball, like Ohtani.
Re- injury potential and Bo Jackson, I've thought of them in the same sentence too. However, I also think that if Ohtani fizzles out due to injury, he'll at minimum have a lasting legacy like Bo Jackson. Maybe not a HOFer, but the ultra bright shooting star people will be talking about for decades. And I also think if Ohtani lasts long enough to put up marginal even substandard HOF stats on both sides (maybe 300 HRs and 100 wins), he will make the HOF, no doubt in my mind.