Padres hire Nomo as baseball operations advisor

Eight years after retiring, Hideo Nomo is making his return to Major League Baseball.

The San Diego Padres announced the hiring of Nomo as a baseball operations advisor on Thursday. The 47-year-old will also be involved in player development as well as helping expand the team's presence in the Pacific Rim.

"We are proud to welcome Hideo to the Padres organization," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said in a release. "His career as a major-league pitcher speaks for itself. His expertise and passion for baseball will be a significant asset to the Padres and I look forward to having his input going forward."

Armed with one of the game's most unique and unorthodox deliveries, Nomo paved the way for Japanese stars to move to MLB after becoming the first to permanently venture to the league. He was an All-Star and National League Rookie of the Year in 1995 and spent 12 years in the majors before retiring in 2008.

"I am very happy to join the San Diego Padres and return to Major League Baseball," said Nomo. "My hope is that my advice will be handed down to the young players of Padres. It is also an opportunity for me to learn, and I hope to help bring a world championship to the Padres. I look forward to working with A.J. Preller and all of the Padres baseball operations staff."

Nomo never played for the Padres but did spend seven seasons with their division rivals in Los Angeles.