Katsunori Nomura

Katsunori Nomura (野村 克則)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 185 lb.
• School Meiji University
• High School Horikoshi High School

• Born November 23, 1973 in Toyonaka, Osaka Japan

BR register page

Biogarphical Information

Katsunori Nomura is the least famous member of the Nomura baseball family, behind Hall-of-Fame father Katsuya Nomura, scandal-plagued celebrity mother Sachiyo Nomura and reviled (in Japan) agent Don Nomura. Katsunori led the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League in average and RBI as a sophomore. The Yakult Swallows took the catcher in the third round of the 1996 NPB draft; at the time, his father managed Yakult.

Katsunori hit .258/.303/.387 in 31 AB for Yakult in 1997 and followed by going just 4 for 23 the next year, his father's last running that team. In 1999, Nomura spent all year at ni-gun.

In 2000, Nomura was sold to the Hanshin Tigers, being managed by his dad. He hit .265/.327/.449 in 49 AB that year, one of his best. His two homers were a career high (and a mark his father often had reached in a single game). In '01, Katsunori batted .211/.257/.274 in 95 AB and 52 games. His mother become involved in a tax scandal, his father lost the manager's job and the youngest member of the clan was just 3 for 16 in 2002. He spent all of 2003 back in ni-gun.

In 2004, Nomura was sold to the Yomiuri Giants during the year; Yomiuri wanted Takahiko Nomaguchi, a pitcher on Katsuya's industrial league team, and felt having Katsuya's son around would help out. Katsunori was 1 for 3 in NPB that year and was released at the end of the season.

When the expansion Rakuten Golden Eagles were formed in 2005, Katsunori signed with them and was 1 for 10 in six games. His father became his manager for the third time in 2006, the year Katsunori saw his most playing time, hitting a pathetic .124/.186/.171 in 129 AB in 56 games; his defense was no better, as he throw out less than 10% of attempted base-stealers.

In 222 games, Katsunori had a .185/.237/.261 batting line in 356 AB.

Rakuten had planned on releasing Nomura after 2006, so he retired instead and signed on as the catching coach for his father's club.

Main Source: Japanbaseballdaily.com by Gary Garland