Lima Has Been

Former Los Angeles Dodger, London Tiger, Houston Astro, New York Met, Edmonton Capital, Newark Bear, Toledo Mud Hen, Detroit Tiger, Aguilas Cibaena, Kansas City Royal, Kia Tiger, Long Beach Armadan, Bristol Tiger, Fayetteville General, Lakeland Tiger, Norfolk Tide, Saltillo Sarapero and Camden Rivershark Jose Lima has died of a heart attack at the age of 37. Lima’s only major league season of note was 1999, when he won 21 games for the Astros. Other highlights included a 2002 game where he won a game for the Tigers in 1 hour and 41 minutes, a 1994 no-hitter for the Mud Hens, and a 5-hit shutout for the Dodgers in the 2004 NLDS, the team’s first postseason win since the 1988 World Series. On the downside, giving up 48 HRs in 2000 – 2 shy of Bert Blyleven’s record, and recording a 6.99 ERA in 2005, the highest ever for a pitcher with 30 starts. Despite his sporadic success, Lima was a fan favorite for his antics on and off the mound, including singing the national anthem at a Dodger game, with his starts referred to as Lima Time, and he was loudly cheered when shown on Dodger Vision at a game he attended 2 days before his death.