Sunday, May 23, 2010

Vin Scully, on Jose Lima

Jose Lima at Friday night's game at Dodger Stadium.

Vin Scully, from today's telecast:

...shocked and saddened over the untimely passing of Jose Lima last night.

Meanwhile, Laird a long fly ball to left and on the track to make the catch is Garret Anderson.

Always very awkward to pick a time to talk about the untimely death of a young player, and you get a first-ball hitter, so we apologize for that. Anyway, Jose Lima, thirty-seven years old, was here Friday night. He was saluted by the crowd, he took his cap off, and we were thrilled to see him. It was always Lima Time.

Jose shut out the Cardinals in a dramatic 2004 championship game, won twenty games for Houston. He had a great career, but to lose him at the age of thirty-seven was a shock indeed.

The one-oh pitch on the way to Danny Worth, ground ball to the hole, by the diving DeWitt into right field, base hit.

Well, as a little boy I always heard that death would come like a thief in the night. And for Jose Lima, he passed away in his sleep last night. He will be sorely missed, not just for his ability to play baseball. He was fun to be around. He lightened the mood, he made the moment so much nicer.

But, as we are all taught, no matter the age, in this particular case, it was Lima's time.

A bunt back to Kuroda....

Lima Time In Heaven (Inside the Dodgers)

And this YouTube gem via A Delino, of Lima jamming with the Long Beach Armada at LAX at 6.30am:

photo via @DodgertownUSA

11 comments:

Kyle Baker said...

Thanks, as always, Orel.

MeanieBreanie said...

Reading Orel's post is the first I have heard about this.

His death reinforces just how short, sweet, and fragile life is. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family.

Small Sample Size said...

Good post man! I can't wait to get off work so I can have some Lima Time! You'll be missed Jose!

Kyle Baker said...

Here's a nice video clip from MLB.com:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=8298589

Gagne's lucky glasses said...

Jose Lima will be a part of Dodgers history for me. He only pitched for us for that one year but it seems like it was 10. I vividly remember being at a game last year where he was in attendance. The PA announced he was here and the crowd went crazy and I saw little kids far too young to ever see him pitch running up to get his autograph...It was a wonderful sight. Here's to you Mr. Lima, you will surely be missed!

Fred's Brim said...

My favorite in-person sporting event was the Lima Time game. My dad and I made the trip to LA to see games 3 and 4. We were both thinking that with the Dodgers going to the playoffs every 8-10 years, we shouldn't miss these opportunities anymore. It was such an amazing atmosphere in the Stadium, and it wasnt going to be squashed by the Sklar brothers in their Jose Oquendo jerseys sitting 3 rows ahead of us. And the game was a amazing of course. My favorite part was wondering if he'd come back out for the 9th with Gagne in the pen. The cheer that erupted when he came back out was incredible

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

I can't say my Mets-sympathizing side was a big fan, but he was such a great character. It's like his singing of Sweet Home Alabama in that clip. He didn't know all the words...sometimes, he knew none of them... but he still gave it his all.

Lima-Time-4-Eva

The Face said...

God I miss Vin. I loved the year that Lima spent with the Dodgers and the win against the Cards in the playoffs was amazing to watch. But not living in LA anymore I miss Vin's prose when he speaks of the greater things in life. RIP Jose, Lime Time won't be forgotten any time soon.

Nostradamus said...

I used to sit over by the dodger bullpen frequently throughout the 2004 season. When Lima was out in the pen, he was out jawing with the fans rather than paying attention to the game. I hadn't thought about that for years until today. He was a unique cat, and he'll be missed.

Kyle Baker said...

Just noted this Brad Ausmus quotation re Lima Time:

"High energy, always in a good mood, loved to sing," Ausmus said. "We had to listen to his demo tape all the time in the locker room. Now it's a fond memory. Back then, it was annoying."

Pedro Guerrero said...

As you get older and wiser, one comes to learn many of your sports heroes aren't what they seem. Away from the field, one wants nothing to do with them. And then they are salt of the earth dudes like Jose Lima who make you wish it could have been YOU in that airport bar.... thanks for that post and video clip. Adios Jose, Adios.