Awful news to pass along on Sunday. ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas reports that retired right-handed pitcher Jose Lima, popularly known as "Lima Time," has passed away.
Jose Lima, Retired Pitcher, Dead At 37
BREAKING NEWS: Dominican pitcher Jose Lima died in Los Angeles for massive heart attack
Throughout his 13-year career, Lima pitched for six different teams. His breakout season came in 1999, when he pitched 246.1 innings for the Houston Astros and posted a 3.58 ERA.
Lima, a colorful character, was beloved by fans. Last year, Sports illustrated’s Phil Taylor wrote this about Lima:
Root for Lima. He deserves it, if only because he is so relentlessly upbeat, embracing the small stage even as he yearns to return to the big one. "Everywhere I go it's Lima Time," he says. "Time to party, time to feel good. Doesn't matter if it's here or Dodger Stadium." He doesn't care that his clubhouse cubicle is marked by just a strip of athletic tape with the handwritten EL MAMBO LIMA or that he makes only about $2,000 a month. And he doesn't mind that phone calls to his friends and fellow Dominicans in the majors, like David Ortiz of the Red Sox and Jose Reyes of the Mets, go mostly unanswered these days. "That's all right, they're busy," he says. "I'll see them when I get back to the big leagues." The bus rides on road trips aren't a comedown to him, but a chance to entertain, like the time he cracked up teammates with a salsa-flavored version of Sweet Home Alabama. "Sweet home Dominicana," he sang. "Where you can lie about your age...."
R.I.P., Jose Lima. More reaction to follow.
See More:
