Don Nomura

is a Japanese sports agent who primarily represents baseball players. He is best known for convincing Nippon Professional Baseball players Hideo Nomo and Alfonso Soriano to retire from the league to sign with Major League Baseball in the 1990s, as well as negotiating for Hideki Irabu to be sent to the New York Yankees like he requested instead of the San Diego Padres, which led to the NPB dissolving the reserve clause and paved the way for Japanese Baseball players playing in the MLB.

Life before and during his baseball career Nomura was born Donald Engel at St. Luke's International Hospital in Chūō, Tokyo, to a Japanese mother, Yoshie Itō and a Jewish American father, Alvin George Engel. His mother left the family when Don was six, leaving his father 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. Nomura then attended Chofu High School, then transferred to Zama High School, where he played baseball and graduated in 1975. During this time, he began visiting his mother, who had changed her name to and married NPB catcher and manager Katsuya Nomura. After completing high school, Nomura 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 Nomura to hold a US-Japan dual citizenship, requiring him to choose one. He chose Japanese citizenship. Nomura'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 December of the same year, Nomura moved to Los Angeles with his new wife. There he worked a series of odd jobs including a non-paying scout for the Milwaukee Brewers, travel agent, janitor, waiter, driver, liquor store clerk, tour coordinator, translator and so on. For a time, Nomura was forced to send his wife and infant daughter back to Japan while he lived in 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. The money helped him to buy an apartment building in L.A. for $250,000 that he later sold for $400,000.

In 1989, Nomura borrowed money to buy 50% of the Salinas Spurs, an unaffiliated Class-A baseball team in the California League. 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.

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 half brother is former NPB player and current Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles coach Katsunori Nomura. He attended and afterwards played under a coach named Scott Thompson. One of his mentors, practice player at , Yoshio Toyoda, is another important person in Nomura's life.