When Dodger superstar pitcher Hideo Nomo was forced to leave mid-game because of a cracked nail on his right middle finger, what did his handlers do? The none-too-nail-savvy staff tried to remedy the situation with a press-on nail. Not surprisingly, it fell off the next time he tried to pitch. When The NAILS File contacted the Dodgers a few days later to find out if the injured Nome had sought the assistance of a professional nail technician, we were met with a few confused questions and a vague response that Nomo’s trainer was “handling things.” We were pleased to read in The Los Angeles Times, however, that the day following our inquiry, Nomo went to a manicurist and had an acrylic wrap applied to the cracked nail.

At his next turn on the mound, success was at hand. According to The Times (September 13, 1995): “Showing no ill effects from his cracked fingernail, Nomo yielded six hits and one run in eight innings.” The article continued, quoting, catcher Mike Piazza, “I guess as long as [the nail] holds together, we’ll hold together. There it is, a pennant race on a nail.”