Lima Time Transitions To Another Plane | 
News has broken in the early morning hours of May 23, 2010 that former Major League pitcher, Jose Lima, has died of an apparent heart attack in his home in Los Angeles, California at the age of 37.
Known for his flamboyant style and his proclamations of “Lima Time”, few pitchers have left fans with as many memorable moments as Jose Lima leaves behind for fans of his career. Lima would wear his emotions on his sleeve despite the objections of baseball purists and opposing players alike that did not like to see him “showing up” his fellow combatants. He would leave the field with his fist pumping and celebratory antics would enrage his opponents and thrill his fans for many seasons.
Lima began his major league career as a member of the Detroit Tigers in 1994. An uneventful career took a positive turn when he was involved in a nine player trade that sent him and four others to the Houston Astros on December 10, 1996.
After becoming familiar with his new surroundings the following year, Lima would realize his potential in 1997. He would take the 
mound thirty three times in 1998 for the Astros, winning sixteen games and losing eight. The following season, in 1999, Lima would go on to win twenty one games and lose ten while leading the National League with thirty five games started. This would lead to his first, and only, All Star Game appearance and have him finish fourth in Cy Young voting. The 2000 season would see Lima lose sixteen games and post a 6.65 ERA, the second highest of his career in seasons that seen him pitch in more than twenty games. It would also see him lead the league in home runs allowed (48) and earned runs allowed (145). His forty eight home runs allowed would fall just two short of Bert Blyleven’s major league, single season record.
In 2001, Lima would find himself being traded back to the Detroit Tigers in a midseason deal. In September of 2002, the Tigers would release the former All Star and Lima would proclaim “If I can’t pitch on this team–the worst or second-worst team in baseball–where am I going to pitch? If I can’t start on this ballclub, I must be the worst pitcher on Earth.”
In 2003, Lima would climb his way from the minor leagues back to a major league rotation as a member of the Kansas City Royals. That offseason, Lima would sign a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers to pitch the 2004 season. The 2004 season would bring the last successful run of Lima Time, the mantra expressed by the pitcher and his fanbase to describe the days that he pitched. He would put together a thirteen win season while only losing five games. His season, and possibly his career, would reach a pinnacle in the playoffs. He would take the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals as his Dodger team faced elimination from the National League Division Series, down two games to none. Lima would through a nine inning, five hit shutout against the Cardinals, prolonging the Dodgers stay in the playoff hunt for one more game. The Dodgers would lose the following game to the Cardinals, and Lima would find himself on his way back to the Kansas City Royals as a free agent.
Lima would set a record that season with the Kansas City Royals, though it is doubtful that the record would
be at the top of his resume. Lima would finish 2006 with a five win, sixteen loss record and post an ERA of 6.99. That would be the highest ERA of any Major League Baseball pitcher to appear in over thirty games.
Lima would finish his major league career the following season as a member of the New York Mets, appearing in only four games before being released. Lima would go on to play professional baseball in Korea, Mexico and the Golden State Baseball League in America.
Topics: Apparent Heart Attack, Bert Blyleven, Combatants, Cy Young, Detroit Tigers, Enrage, Five Games, Flamboyant Style, Heart Attack, Houston Astros, Jose Lima, League Career, League Pitcher, Major League, Memorable Moments, Proclamations, Purists, Sixteen Games, Star Game, Time Transitions
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Jose Lima signed a ball for me on the day he was called up to play for the Detroit Tigers. He told me that he loved doing it because when he became an All-Star, he wanted people to love him.
He became and All-Star and we loved him. Rest in peace.