LIma time

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images - Jose Lima with the Mets in 2006, his last major league season.

May 23, 2010
Jose Lima, Colorful and Popular Pitcher, Dies at 37
By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN

Jose Lima, the exuberant right-hander who pitched 13 seasons in the major leagues, delighting his fans when “Lima Time” arrived at the ballpark, died Sunday at his home in Pasadena, Calif. He was 37.

The cause was a heart attack, according to Major League Baseball’s Web site. Lima had attended a Los Angeles Dodgers game Friday night with his son, Jose Jr. His agent, Dan Evans, told The Los Angeles Times that he had gone out dancing with his family Saturday night and had not experienced any signs of ill health.

Lima, a native of the Dominican Republic, made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers in 1994. He had his best season in 1999, when he was 21-10 with the Houston Astros and an All-Star. He pitched for the Astros in the 1997 and ’99 National League division series. In 2004, in his only season with the Dodgers, Lima was 13-5 and threw a shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals for the Dodgers’ only victory in the N.L.D.S.

Lima also pitched for the Kansas City Royals and the Mets, going 0-4 with them in 2006, his last major league season, and he had a career record of 89-102. He pitched last season in the independent Golden League.

Something of a celebrity for his animated style, Lima was given to fist-pumping, shouting and at times talking to himself on the mound. While with the Dodgers, he presented a pregame performance with his salsa band, Banda Mambo, in the Dodger Stadium parking lot, and he sang the national anthem before one home game. He remained a popular figure in Los Angeles, receiving an ovation when he was introduced between innings Friday night.

Lima’s former Dodger teammate Guillermo Mota, now pitching for the San Francisco Giants, recalled how Lima enjoyed mixing with the fans. “He would sign autographs all the time and ask the kids, ‘What time is it?’ ” Mota told The Associated Press on Sunday. “They would answer ‘Lima Time.’ ”

In addition to his son, Lima’s survivors include his wife, Dorca Astacio, according to MLB.com.

In February 2006, Lima arrived at the Mets’ spring training clubhouse in Port Lucie, Fla., having signed with them after posting a 5-16 record for a poor Royals team. He wore a silver three-piece suit, a black fedora and large diamond earrings. He happily posed for photographers and he was hardly about to dwell on his less than stellar statistics of the previous season. He had another number in mind, announcing that he owned more than 2,000 suits.

“I’ve never worn the same one twice,” he said. “I give the old ones to my brothers. They wear the same size that I do.”