LOS ANGELES -- Nomo-mania is coming back to Dodger Stadium.

	Hideo Nomo Starting Pitcher Los Angeles Dodgers Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM W-L IP H K ERA 33 13-10 198 171 220 4.50

Free agent Hideo Nomo, who led the AL in strikeouts last season, and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed Thursday on a two-year deal worth $13.75 million.

"I'm very happy to be back with the Dodgers," he said through an interpreter. "I thought the opportunity to be back with the Dodgers wouldn't come."

The Japanese pitcher broke into the major leagues with the Dodgers in 1995, and became an instant sensation with his hesitation windup and sharp split-finger fastball.

Nomo started the All-Star game that season, and later was named the NL rookie of the year after leading the league with 236 strikeouts and three shutouts.

Nomo, 33, struck out 220 last season with the Boston Red Sox. He was 13-10 with a 4.50 ERA and pitched the second no-hitter of his career.

"Hideo is a starting pitcher that we've been exploring the entire winter," Dodgers general manager Dan Evans said. "He's a guy that will give us innings and strikeouts."

Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said Nomo's forkball appears to be as dangerous as ever.

"He pitched a no-hitter this past season again," Tracy said. "The depth of his forkball wasn't there in previous years, but it seems to be back. If he's able to continue the command of the fastball that he's been able to have throughout his career, he can be devastating."

In three full seasons with the Dodgers, Nomo was 43-29 with an average of 234 strikeouts. He later asked to be traded from the Dodgers and struggled with the New York Mets in 1998 when he had arthroscopic elbow surgery.

Nomo later pitched for Milwaukee and Detroit before joining the Red Sox.

Nomo pitched a no-hitter for the Dodgers in 1996 against Colorado at Coors Field. Last April, he pitched a no-hitter against Baltimore in his Red Sox debut.

In 1997, Nomo became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 500 career strikeouts, doing it in 444 2/3 innings.

In September 1999, he became the third-fastest pitcher to reach 1,000 career strikeouts, behind only Roger Clemens and Dwight Gooden.

Nomo gets a $1 million signing bonus, $4 million next season and $7.25 million in 2003. Los Angeles has an $8 million option for 2004 with a $1.5 million buyout.