Don Nomura
Encyclopedia
, is a sports agent
who primarily represents Japanese baseball players.
in Chūō
, Tokyo
. Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, Yoshie Itō left the family when Don was six, leaving Alvin George Engel to care for him and his younger brother Kenneth. He attended St. Mary's International School
, a private, English-speaking Catholic school in Tokyo, until he was kicked out for fighting at the age of 16. Don then enrolled at Chofu High School, where he played baseball. During this time, he began visiting his mother, who had changed her name to Sachiyo and married NPB catcher
and manager
Katsuya Nomura
. After completing high school, Don enrolled at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California
where he studied and played baseball from 1975–77.
In 1977, at the age of 21, the Japanese Home Ministry
would no longer allow Don to hold a dual US–Japan citizenship, requiring him to choose one. He chose Japanese citizenship. Don's decision was influenced by a NPB restriction that allowed only two foreign players per team at the time. He then assumed the name until his stepfather adopted him that same year, at which time he took the name Don Katsuki Nomura. Commenting on his new Japanese name, Nomura remarked, "It helped me get into places and meet people". He began playing on a minor league team affiliated with the Yakult Swallows
the next year as a utility infielder
. In 1981, he was released after playing four seasons with the team because of poor performance. That same year, Nomura's 62-year-old father, Alvin Engel, committed suicide in Hawaii
via carbon monoxide poisoning
. Nomura traveled to Hawaii to pick up his father's ashes and returned them to Japan.
In 1982, Don Nomura moved to Los Angeles
, California
with his new wife. There he worked a series of odd jobs that including minor league scout, travel agent, janitor and store clerk. For a time, Nomura was forced to send his wife and infant daughter back to Japan while he lived out of his car in Los Angeles because of his poor financial state. By 1985, he had saved enough money to rent an apartment and bring his family back to L.A. Nomura then converted $1,000 to $41,000 while playing baccarat
in Las Vegas
, Nevada
. The money helped him to buy an apartment building in L.A. for $250,000 that he later sold for $400,000.
, an unaffiliated Class-A
baseball team in the California League
. NPB teams sent their high school draftees to Nomura's Spurs for training. As a teenager, baseball player Mac Suzuki
worked in the team's clubhouse until he began playing with the Spurs in 1992. That year, Suzuki became Nomura's first client when he signed him to a personal representation contract. Nomura then negotiated with the Seattle Mariners
and later earned Suzuki a million-dollar signing bonus
. In 1992, Nomura sold the Spurs to a group in San Bernardino
. He founded the Los Angeles-based company KDN Sports, Inc. and became a full-time sports agent
.
In 1994 Nomura discovered a loophole in the NPB player contract and working agreement between MLB and NPB. According to the 1967 working agreement between MLB and NPB, NPB players could not sign a contract with a MLB team until they reached free agency after 10 years of service or unless their team sold their contract to a MLB team. However, a player who "voluntarily retired" from NPB was no longer bound to their NPB team outside Japan and was free to sign overseas without violating the working agreement.
After the 1994 season Nomura assisted star NPB pitcher Hideo Nomo in testing the loophole. After failing to reach a contract agreement with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, Nomo retired from NPB and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995.
In 1998 he represented Hideki Irabu whose contract was sold by the Chiba Lotte Marines to the San Diego Padres. Irabu stated that he would only play for the New York Yankees, and refused to sign with the Padres. The Padres traded the rights to Irabu to the Yankees, where he finally made his MLB debut. Despite Irabu's refusal to sign with the Padres, other teams were unhappy that they didn't get the chance to bid on Irabu.
In 1998, the NPB contract loophole was tested again when Nomura advised Hiroshima Carp player Alfonso Soriano of the Dominican Republic who wished to move to MLB. Although NPB had amended the player contract to prohibit retired players from signing overseas, they had inadvertently failed to notify MLB of the change as required by the working agreement. After failing to reach a contract agreement with the Carp, Soriano declared his retirement as Nomo had three years before. This decision resulted in the Carp management suing Nomura for $100,000 in damages as well as threatening legal action against any MLB ball club that negotiated with Soriano. However, MLB eventually ruled that Soriano could be classified as a free agent. The Carp gave up pursuing legal action, and the suit with Nomura was later settled. Soriano signed with the New York Yankees for $3.1 million over four years, a vast improvement over the $40,000 a year he was offered from the Carp.
The incidents with Nomo, Irabu, and Soriano motivated NPB and MLB to abolish the working agreement and replace it with the current posting system. This led to a wave of star players leaving NPB during their prime to play in the United States, in addition to the dozens of players who moved to the US after becoming free agents.
coach Katsunori Nomura
. After a 2001 tax evasion
scandal involving Don's mother Sachiyo Nomura, he and Kenneth Engel, Sachiyo's children from a previous marriage, publicly disown her. This is in contrast to Katsunori, who was supportive during months preceding Sachiyo's arrest.
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
who primarily represents Japanese baseball players.
Early life
Don Nomura was born Donald Engel at St. Luke's International HospitalSt. Luke's International Hospital
is a general hospital located in the Tsukiji district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1902 by Rudolph Bolling Teusler, a missionary doctor sent by the American Episcopal Church. In 1933, R. B...
in Chūō
Chuo, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards that form the heart of Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Chūō City in English.Its Japanese name literally means "Central Ward," and it is historically the main commercial center of Tokyo, although Shinjuku has risen to challenge it since the end of World War II...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, Yoshie Itō left the family when Don was six, leaving Alvin George Engel to care for him and his younger brother Kenneth. He attended St. Mary's International School
St. Mary's International School
St. Mary's International School is a Catholic school for boys located in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo, Japan. The primary language of instruction is English. It offers the International Baccalaureate program.-History:...
, a private, English-speaking Catholic school in Tokyo, until he was kicked out for fighting at the age of 16. Don then enrolled at Chofu High School, where he played baseball. During this time, he began visiting his mother, who had changed her name to Sachiyo and married NPB catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Katsuya Nomura
Katsuya Nomura
was one of Nippon Professional Baseball's greatest players as a catcher and was also a long-time manager for the Yakult Swallows, the Hanshin Tigers, and the Rakuten Golden Eagles of NPB's Pacific League.-Career:...
. After completing high school, Don enrolled at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
where he studied and played baseball from 1975–77.
In 1977, at the age of 21, the Japanese Home Ministry
Home Ministry (Japan)
The ' was a Cabinet-level ministry established under the Meiji Constitution that managed the internal affairs of Empire of Japan from 1873-1947...
would no longer allow Don to hold a dual US–Japan citizenship, requiring him to choose one. He chose Japanese citizenship. Don's decision was influenced by a NPB restriction that allowed only two foreign players per team at the time. He then assumed the name until his stepfather adopted him that same year, at which time he took the name Don Katsuki Nomura. Commenting on his new Japanese name, Nomura remarked, "It helped me get into places and meet people". He began playing on a minor league team affiliated with the Yakult Swallows
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
the next year as a utility infielder
Utility infielder
A utility infielder is a baseball player, usually one who does not have a regular starting role on the team and who is capable of playing more than one of the four defensive infield positions: second base, third base, shortstop, and less typically first base...
. In 1981, he was released after playing four seasons with the team because of poor performance. That same year, Nomura's 62-year-old father, Alvin Engel, committed suicide in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
via carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
. Nomura traveled to Hawaii to pick up his father's ashes and returned them to Japan.
In 1982, Don Nomura moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with his new wife. There he worked a series of odd jobs that including minor league scout, travel agent, janitor and store clerk. For a time, Nomura was forced to send his wife and infant daughter back to Japan while he lived out of his car in Los Angeles because of his poor financial state. By 1985, he had saved enough money to rent an apartment and bring his family back to L.A. Nomura then converted $1,000 to $41,000 while playing baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played at casinos and by gamblers. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of King Charles VIII , and it is similar to Faro and Basset...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The money helped him to buy an apartment building in L.A. for $250,000 that he later sold for $400,000.
Career
In 1989, Don Nomura borrowed money to buy 50% of the Salinas SpursSalinas Spurs
The Salinas Spurs were a California League team that played from 1982 to 1987 and again from 1989 to 1992. Located in Salinas, California, they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs from 1982 to 1983, the Seattle Mariners from 1984 to 1987, and in 1989 they had a partial working agreement with the...
, an unaffiliated Class-A
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
baseball team in the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. NPB teams sent their high school draftees to Nomura's Spurs for training. As a teenager, baseball player Mac Suzuki
Mac Suzuki
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher who plays for the Calgary Vipers of the Golden League. Over his career, Suzuki had played 18 seasons in professional baseball, including six in Major League Baseball and one in the Japan Pacific League...
worked in the team's clubhouse until he began playing with the Spurs in 1992. That year, Suzuki became Nomura's first client when he signed him to a personal representation contract. Nomura then negotiated with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
and later earned Suzuki a million-dollar signing bonus
Signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive to the employee, e.g., if the annual salary is lower than he or she desires...
. In 1992, Nomura sold the Spurs to a group in San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
. He founded the Los Angeles-based company KDN Sports, Inc. and became a full-time sports agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
.
In 1994 Nomura discovered a loophole in the NPB player contract and working agreement between MLB and NPB. According to the 1967 working agreement between MLB and NPB, NPB players could not sign a contract with a MLB team until they reached free agency after 10 years of service or unless their team sold their contract to a MLB team. However, a player who "voluntarily retired" from NPB was no longer bound to their NPB team outside Japan and was free to sign overseas without violating the working agreement.
After the 1994 season Nomura assisted star NPB pitcher Hideo Nomo in testing the loophole. After failing to reach a contract agreement with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, Nomo retired from NPB and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995.
In 1998 he represented Hideki Irabu whose contract was sold by the Chiba Lotte Marines to the San Diego Padres. Irabu stated that he would only play for the New York Yankees, and refused to sign with the Padres. The Padres traded the rights to Irabu to the Yankees, where he finally made his MLB debut. Despite Irabu's refusal to sign with the Padres, other teams were unhappy that they didn't get the chance to bid on Irabu.
In 1998, the NPB contract loophole was tested again when Nomura advised Hiroshima Carp player Alfonso Soriano of the Dominican Republic who wished to move to MLB. Although NPB had amended the player contract to prohibit retired players from signing overseas, they had inadvertently failed to notify MLB of the change as required by the working agreement. After failing to reach a contract agreement with the Carp, Soriano declared his retirement as Nomo had three years before. This decision resulted in the Carp management suing Nomura for $100,000 in damages as well as threatening legal action against any MLB ball club that negotiated with Soriano. However, MLB eventually ruled that Soriano could be classified as a free agent. The Carp gave up pursuing legal action, and the suit with Nomura was later settled. Soriano signed with the New York Yankees for $3.1 million over four years, a vast improvement over the $40,000 a year he was offered from the Carp.
The incidents with Nomo, Irabu, and Soriano motivated NPB and MLB to abolish the working agreement and replace it with the current posting system. This led to a wave of star players leaving NPB during their prime to play in the United States, in addition to the dozens of players who moved to the US after becoming free agents.
Personal life
Nomura's stepbrother is former-NPB player and current Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
coach Katsunori Nomura
Katsunori Nomura
was a NPB catcher from 1996–2006. He is currently a catching coach for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He is the son of NPB catching-great and long-time manager Katsuya Nomura, who also managed him for five seasons—two with the Yakult Swallows, two with the Hanshin Tigers and one with...
. After a 2001 tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
scandal involving Don's mother Sachiyo Nomura, he and Kenneth Engel, Sachiyo's children from a previous marriage, publicly disown her. This is in contrast to Katsunori, who was supportive during months preceding Sachiyo's arrest.