Lima Time Ends Too Soon: Jose Lima dies at 37

Posted on May 24, 2010

Jose Lima of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after beating the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on October 9, 2004. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

Jose Lima, one of the most animated baseball players I have ever had the joy to photograph, died on Sunday from an apparent heart attack in his home in Pasadena, California. We was 37. The right-handed pitcher who brought “Lima Time” to ballparks all over the Major Leagues for 13 seasons burst upon the national scene in 1999 when he went 21-10 with a 3.58 ERA in 35 starts for the NL Central champion Houston Astros. He was in the middle of this great season when I photographed him pitching against the Giants at Candlestick Park for a feature story in Sports Illustrated. He was a blast to shoot, as he clowned around during batting practice and threw a masterful game against the Giants.

My favorite memory of Lima comes from the 2004 National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. I was assigned to shoot Game 3 at Dodgers Stadium for Sports Illustrated. The Dodgers were down 2-0 in the series and had not won a post-season game since 1988. Lima dealt that night and dominated the Cardinals with a complete game five-hit shutout in front of a delirious sellout crowd at Chavez Ravine. It was apparent early on that Lima was in a groove that night, and I focused much of my attention on him as he danced, celebrated, and screamed throughout the balmy Southern California night releasing so much infectious joy that even I, a Giants fan, was rooting for him. I was shooting the game next to photographer Kevork Djansezian (then of the Associated Press). We were having fun shooting the game and as we got caught up in all the excitement Kevork kept saying “Lima Time!” I still get goosebumps thinking about that playoff game. It didn’t seem to matter that the Dodgers lost Game 4 and the series the next night. Lima had won over Los Angeles, and he had won over me. Long live Lima Time!