On the blog today, something special, a fantasy 1979 card for all-time Japanese great catcher Katsuya Nomura:
Perhaps
the greatest catcher in Japan League history, Nomura put in an
astounding 26 seasons of ball between 1954 and 1980, collecting 2901
hits while slugging 657 homers while driving in 1988 runs.
At
the height of his game, between 1962 and 1965, he'd top 40 homers each
season, with a high of 52 in 1963, while drivi9ng in 135 runs in 150
games.
He would top 30 homers ten times over his career, while
reaching 100-RBIs seven times and hit .300 six times, with a high mark
of .320 in 1965.
He would lead the league in homers eight times, and in 1965 he was the first Triple Crown winner in league history.
On
top of his on-field play, the man was also a manager for 24 years, with
three stints: 1970-1977 with Nankai, 1990-2001 with Yakult and Hanshin,
and 2006-2009 with Rakuten.
In 3204 games as skipper, he'd finish an even .500 with a record of 1565 and 1963.
Really fun creating this Japanese Special cards, and I hope to create more of them throughout 2023!
