Jose Lima: Lima time comes an a close
Jose Lima, a man full of life and known for his flamboyant celebrations in Major League Baseball is no more! Astros feat, lively displays of emotion on the stack, frolics and friendliness made Lima a fan-favourite in American baseball. He was known for his colourful persona.
While pitching, he often said, "Lima time." Former league pitcher Jose Lima died on May 23, 2010, at the age of 37 from a massive heart attack at his home near Angeles. He was brought to the Huntington Memorial Hospital at the earliest where he was declared dead.
Born on September 30, 1972 in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Jose Lima was a right-handed pitcher. Lima spent thirteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, and Kansas City Royals.
On April 20, 1994, Lima made his Major League debut with the Detroit Tigers, making a start against the Kansas City Royals. Three years later, on December 10, 1996, he was handed over to the Houston Astros in an eight-player trade. His best year in the majors was 1999, when he piled up a record 21-10 with a 3.58 ERA and pitched in his lone All-Star Game.
Lima is remembered particularly in the Astros. From 1997-2001, he scored 46-42 with a 4.77 ERA for Houston. His career record was 89-102 in 348 games (235 starts) with an ERA of 5.26.
In a season with the Dodgers, in 2004, Lima scored 13-5 with an ERA of 4.07. That year, Lima performed with his band at the annual Viva Los Dodgers celebration. He also sang the National Anthem earlier to a Dodgers home game.
In 2004, the National League Division Series Lima gave his team its first postseason win since 1988. He pitched a five-hit shutout in Game 3 against the Cardinals at the Dodger Stadium.
Mets infielder Alex Cora started at second base for Los Angeles in that game. He told the media that, "55,000 people screaming his last name, 'Lima, Li-ma, Lima,' it was amazing."
In 2006, Lima last pitched for the Mets, when he lost all four of his starts and could only grab an ERA of 9.87.
In the last season, Jose Lima was playing independent baseball in order to make it back to the major leagues, a dream he always held on the top. "I believe in Jose Lima" he used to say.
Lima’s attitude with his fans was so good that at times his teammates complained that he made them look bad. Lima used to talk to autograph-seeking kids, asking for their names too; such was the warmth of the person at hand.
Once Lima said, "Some people change when they make a lot of money. That's not Jose Lima." And he meant what he said. Dodger’s catcher Brad Ausmus, who played with Lima in Houston and Detroit, praised his game saying, "You come to realize that the energy you see on the mound isn't a false persona, that's Jose Lima.”
Lima had rejoined the Dodgers within the last month as a member of the Dodger Alumni Association. He was planning to open a youth baseball academy in Los Angeles in this summer. At Friday night, he attended a game at Dodger Stadium and received a great reception from the mass when he was introduced.
Royals DH Guillen, who played with Jose Lima in the Dominican winter league said, "A writer told me the news while I was at batting practice and I just dropped the bat. I froze."
Guillen said he will inscribe his initials "JL" on his helmet. Red Sox DH David Ortiz also played with Jose Lima in the Dominican league. On the side of his cap, he has written "RIP Lima" as a gesture of respect.
Guillermo Mota, Dodgers former teammate, also shared his memories with the media. He said, "He would sign autographs all the time and ask the kids, 'What time is it?' They would answer 'Lima time!' I can see it right now." A famous fantasy baseball strategy, the LIMA plan developed by Ron Shandler, is named in his honour. With his memories still fresh in the minds of many, Lima has left an exceptional place in the hearts of his fans.
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