Nomo mojo

There are like 17 Hideo Nomo rookie cards. I don't know if that's a record for one individual baseball player, or if this was just the custom in the 1990s. I wasn't collecting during that very weird time.

But something tells me 17 different rookie cards for one individual is a bit unusual.

The odd thing is, I'm closing in on owning all of them. I think I'm missing only 2 or 3.

The most recent Nomo rookies came to me from Tom at The Angels, In Order.

Both of the cards are from that very strange '90s brand called Emotion.

It occurs to me now that if Emotion merely called itself "Action," then all of the wacky non-emotions that it plastered on cards -- like "Twisting" -- would actually work, and pathetic bloggers wouldn't be deriding a defunct company these many years later.

But, anyway, they're both pretty nice-looking cards, as are all Nomo cards. As you know, he has the best cards of all-time. I can't find anyone who can prove otherwise.

Speaking of 17, we are coming up on the 17th anniversary of his American professional debut. And on May 2, it will have been 17 years since he made his first appearance in a major league game.

Nomo was and still is endlessly fascinating. And that's why he still has so many collectors many years after his retirement.

And probably why he has 17 rookie cards.

A lot more than that guy who didn't win the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1995.