Sunday Question
I was going to post a different question today, but that one is timeless, so it will come another day.
I learned upon waking up that Jose Lima died from a heart attack this morning. If I didn’t have Twitter I wouldn’t have known just how many people were saddened and shaken up by his death. He was only 37.
This week’s question: What is your favorite Jose Lima moment?
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Game 3 of the 2004 NLDS when he pitched a complete game shutout for the Dodgers. A great game. He was unhittable that night.
second, when he sang the National Anthem for the hometeam crowd in LA earlier that season.
His 2004 NLDS performance for the Dodgers. It was pretty much the only highlight for the Dodgers in that series. I was awfully proud of them that day. (I had a rare night off that day, so I was particularly pleased!)
Meeting him a couple of times in the minor leagues, after the best part of his career was over. A lot of guys might have been bitter to be back in AAA or indy ball after they had been All-Stars and won playoff games, but Lima genuinely seemed to enjoy playing baseball.
As far as on-field moments, I'll go with his 2004 NLDS game.
Have a drink today for Lima Time.
I remember reading about him working his way back to the majors in an indepedent league (I think it was either a SI article or in Chris Coste's book). It saddens me to hear how young he died and how he never got back.
Seeing him play against my local team in the independant Atlantic League
I didn't see this earlier when I wrote my post on Lima, but when I was a kid he gave me a pack of Bazooka gum from his dugout at Tiger Stadium. Great memory.
How about favorite season?
The season he won 21 games for the Houston Astros.
I was much younger than and I would go NUTS for Lima Time.