This Kintetsu Buffaloes shikishi (traditional Japanese autograph board) was signed in black marker by Hideo Nomo during his rookie season.

Nomo's autograph changed to a degree every year that he was a member of the Buffaloes. Interestingly, in 1990, he would write "Hideo" in English across the bottom of the autograph, but would write "Nomo" quite creatively in Japanese above the first name, adding numerous flourishes. In this case, below the autograph, Nomo also wrote #11 which was his uniform number in Japan.

Hideo Nomo was an immediate success in Japan Pro Baseball, going 18–8 as a rookie, but more impressively striking out 287 hitters in just 235 innings. The high strikeout numbers were attributed to his unorthodox windup which resulted his being nicknamed "The Tornado".

If it hadn't been for Nomo finding a loophole in his contract following the 1994 season, it is quite possible that there would still be no Japanese players in Major League baseball. In late 1994, Nomo announced his retirement from Japanese baseball at age 25. This decision activated a previously overlooked clause in the standard Japan Pro Baseball contract, thus allowing him to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The rest is history.

Size: 9 1/2" x 10 3/4"

Condition: Autograph--9 out of 10. Shikishi--Nm.