Nomo, Sasaki elected to Japan's baseball Hall

Former big leaguers Hideo Nomo and Kazuhiro Sasaki were elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday, with Nomo becoming the youngest player in that Hall's history, according to the Japan Times.

In 12 Major League seasons, Nomo amassed 123 wins and a 4.24 ERA while playing for seven teams. The first Japanese pitcher to make a permanent move to the Majors, Nomo spent seven years with the Dodgers, for whom he tossed the first of his two no-hitters.

Prior to his stint in Major League Baseball, Nomo pitched for five seasons with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan. He went 78-46 with a 3.15 ERA and won at least 17 games four times.

Sasaki, meanwhile, spent four years in the big leagues as a closer for Seattle. He saved 45 games for the Mariners during their 2001 campaign, during which they won 116 games during the regular season. Sasaki finished his big league career with 129 saves and a 3.14 ERA. In 12 seasons in Japan, he posted a 2.41 ERA.

Also elected on Friday were outfielder Koji Akiyama, currently the manager of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, and Choichi Aida, the former manager of Waseda University.