Crown. He was a player-manager between 1970 and 1977. He played for 26 years, the longest NPB playing career until Kimiyasu Kudo pitched in his 27th season in 2008; Kudo retired in 2010 having played 29 seasons. Managerial career Nomura began his 24-year managerial career as player-manager of the Hawks in 1970. During his eight year stint as Hawks manager, he led the team to the Pacific League title in 1973. After his playing career, Nomura went on to become a full-time manager. From 1990 to 1998, he managed the Yakult Swallows, leading them to four league titles and three Japan Series championships. While managing the Swallows, Nomura mentored the team's catcher, Atsuya Furuta. Under Nomura, Furuta flourished and became a hall of fame catcher in his own right. Following his role as Yakult manager, Nomura joined the Hanshin Tigers and managed the team from 1999 to 2001. The team finished last in the Central League all three seasons. On December 5, 2001, his wife, television personality Sachiyo Nomura, was arrested for tax evasion. Nomura resigned from his managerial position the next day. His wife was accused of hiding ¥45 million of his income, however Nomura was not accused of any criminal responsibility. After the scandal, Nomura managed the amateur corporate league team Shidax from 2003 to 2005. He left after three seasons to return to NPB. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles had a poor showing during their inaugural 2005 season. It was the first PL club in 40 years to lose at least 90 games in one season. They finished with a 38-97-1 record. Hoping to improve for their second season, the team hired Nomura to manage the club because of his experience. Over the next four season, he helped turn Rakuten around. By his final season with the team, the Eagles finished the regular season in with their best-ever showing up to that point in time, second place, securing them a position in the Climax Series. After losing in the final stage of the 2009 Pacific League Climax Series, Nomura retired from managing at the age of 74. As a manager, Nomura recorded 1,565 wins, the fifth-most wins of any manager in NPB history. Legacy During his playing time, Pacific League games were rarely televised. Because of this, Nomura was often overshadowed by his Central League contemporaries such as superstars Sadaharu Oh and Shigeo Nagashima of the Yomiuri