Hideo Nomo burst onto the MLB scene in 1995 behind a signature tornado windup that helped him flummox hitters across the National League. That year, Nomo earned the N.L. Rookie of the Year award behind a baseball-leading 236 strikeouts. The first Japanese player to play in the big leagues since the ‘60s, Nomo helped pave the way for Ichiro, Yu Darvish, Shohei Othani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and other Japanese stars who have lit up MLB.
In 1997, just two years after Nomo started whiffing hitters, Fleer/SkyBox released E-X2000 – an experimental release that utilized a plastic stock, intricate layering, and die-cutting. That set proved popular with collectors, but many have a greater attachment to the second release of the popular premium brand. For the 100-card follow-up series, 1998 E-X2001, the company put a new twist on the Credentials parallel, utilizing a new plastic stock, unique serial numbering, and two tiers that offered more scarcity.
The ‘98 Essential Credentials Future parallel features a pink color scheme on each card and serial numbering that runs in inverse order of card numbers (e.g., Nomo’s Essential Credentials Future card #12 is /89). But the Future version, an example of which is offered here, showcases a green design and serial numbering that matches the card number. Thus this bookend example is one of only 12 produced. As one of the most memorable players of the ‘90s, plenty of baseball bidders will be winding up to nab this Nomo.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 11/05/24.
