The Pacific League's all time greatest player before Ichiro, and certainly the best Japanese catcher ever, Katsuya Nomura played in Japan Pro Baseball from 1954 to 1980. He ranks second all time in hits (2,901), homers (657) and RBI (1,988). He won five Pacific League MVP awards. A triple crown winner in 1965, he led the league in homers nine times and was RBI leader seven times.

Nomura began his 24-year managerial career as player-manager of the Hawks in 1970. During his eight year stint as Hawks manager, he led the team to the Pacific League title in 1973. After his playing career, Nomura went on to become a full-time manager. From 1990 to 1998, he managed the Yakult Swallows, leading them to four league titles and three Japan Series championships. Following managerial stints with the Hanshin Tigers and Rakuten Eagles, he retired with 1,565 managerial victories, fifth most in the history of Japan Pro Baseball.

The Japanese Baseball Card Checklist & Price Guide, Vintage Edition 2.1 has awarded the JGA 152 set a scarcity factor of R4, signifying that ten or fewer copies of this card are known. We have only rarely been able to offer cards from this set.

Size: 1 15/16" x 3 1/16"

Condition: Vg/Ex