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Ubaldo Jiménez (born January 22, 1984),[1] is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. He pitched the first no-hitter in the franchise's history on April 17, 2010 against the Atlanta Braves.[2]

Career[]

Jiménez made his Major League Baseball debut on September 26, 2006. He came in as a relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies during the eighth inning of an 11–4 home loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.[3] He allowed two hits and no runs. He would make his first major league start on October 1 against the Chicago Cubs on the road, which was the last game of the regular season. Jiménez allowed three hits and three earned runs over a span of 6 ⅔ innings in a 8–5 loss. He didn't receive a decision for the game.[4]

2007[]

Jiménez earned his first major league win on July 29 at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched six innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs.[5] The Rockies won the game, 9–6. On September 5, he gained the distinction of giving up Barry Bonds's 762nd and final career home run.[6] Jiménez made his Major League Baseball postseason debut on October 6 during Game 3 of the 2007 National League Division Series in Colorado against the Philadelphia Phillies. He started the game and pitched six innings, allowing three hits and one earned run, as part of a 2–1 victory (the win gave the Rockies a series sweep over the Phillies).[7] However, Jiménez didn't receive a decision for the game. He started his second consecutive game of the postseason on October 12, which was Game 2 of the 2007 National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road. He pitched five innings, giving up one hit and one earned run. The Rockies would eventually win the game, 3–2, but Jiménez received his second straight postseason no-decision.[8] Colorado swept Arizona and faced the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 World Series. Jiménez started Game 2, suffering a 2–1 loss in Boston. He allowed three hits and two earned runs in 4 ⅔ innings.[9] Boston went on to sweep Colorado.

2008[]

In 2008, Jiménez went 12–12 with a 3.99 earned run average. His 34 starts led the National League.[10] He threw the fastest fastball among starters in the Major Leagues, averaging 94.9 mph.[11]

2009[]

During the 2008 offseason, Jiménez signed a four-year, $10-million dollar contract with a club option up to 2013–14.[12] In the 2009 season, he went 15–12 with a 3.47 ERA, his second full season as a starter in the majors. Jiménez pitched at least six innings in a franchise-record 25 consecutive starts from May 1 – September 7.[13]

Jiménez pitched for the Dominican Republic during the 2009 World Baseball Classic. On March 10, he set a single-start strikeout record, fanning 10 of the 13 batters he faced during his 65-pitch, four-inning performance in Round One against the Netherlands.[14]

2010[]

Jiménez threw the first no-hitter in the history of the Colorado Rockies on April 17, 2010, as part of a 4–0 road victory over the Atlanta Braves. He walked 6 batters, while striking out 7, and throwing a career-high 128 pitches (72 for strikes).[2] He faced 31 batters in the game. The no-hitter was preserved by a diving catch in center field by Dexter Fowler in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jiménez's fastball reached 100 mph three times during the game, and it averaged 96.8 mph. During the no-hitter, Jiménez switched from the windup to the stretch delivery after issuing a lead-off walk in the fifth inning (his sixth total walk of the game). Following the switch, he didn't allow a walk for the remainder of the game.[15]

File:Ubaldo Jiménez Memorial Day.jpg

Jiménez pitching during a complete game shutout road victory over the San Francisco Giants on Memorial Day

Jiménez was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for April, becoming the second pitcher in Rockies history to win a Pitcher of the Month award.[16] Jiménez was only the second pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter and notch five wins in the month of April. He also set a franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings (22 ⅓) for a starting pitcher (the streak was eventually snapped on May 3 after 25 ⅓ straight scoreless innings).[17] He broke that mark shortly thereafter, as he went 33 straight scoreless innings from May to June, which was a franchise record for not only starting pitchers, but relievers as well (Gabe White previously held the team record of 29 consecutive scoreless innings).[18] Jiménez became the first pitcher since Jack Morris in 1986 to have two streaks of at least 25 consecutive scoreless innings in one season.[19] He was again named National League Pitcher of the Month for May. He became the first pitcher in Rockies history to win the award more than once and the first pitcher since Pedro Martínez in 1999 to win the award in April and May.[19]

Jiménez was the third pitcher in MLB history to win 11 out of his first 12 games and have an ERA below 1.00 (0.93).[20] He had the lowest ERA (0.78) in MLB history through 11 starts. In his one loss, he went seven innings, giving up two hits and one earned run in a 2–0 road loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers.[21] On July 4, 2010, Jiménez was one of two Rockies, along with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, selected as a National League All-Star to play in the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. He entered the game leading all Major League pitchers with a 15–1 record and a 2.20 ERA (as of July 8). On July 12, 2010, Jiménez was named the starting pitcher for the National League All-Star team ahead of fellow NL aces Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay, and Adam Wainwright.[22] In two scoreless innings he threw 25 pitches with two hits, one strikeout, one walk, and 3 baserunners.[23] 2010 was the NL's first All-Star win since 1996 and Jiménez's first All-Star selection.

File:Ubaldo-Jimenez.JPG

Jiménez being presented as the National League starting pitcher at an All-Star press conference on July 12th, 2010

Jiménez's reception through the beginning of the 2010 season before the All-Star break was shared by some of his fellow MLB All-Stars before the All-Star game:[24]

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"When you throw 97 miles per hour, it's supposed to be straight and hard. Nothing he throws is straight. It runs away from left-handers and in on righties. He's very tough to hit." -Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies
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"The difference is his other pitches. You get him to a 3–1 hitter's count, you think you have him, and he drops in the curveball. Now it's a full count and you're at his mercy." -Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves
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"The first thing you see is that he throws 97 miles per hour and he's not walking any guys anymore. That makes him very difficult to hit." -Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants
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"When we saw him on opening day, you could tell he was going to have a special season. Some guys throw hard but never with that much late movement. You just don't see that." -Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers
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"People don't always understand how hard it is to maintain your command when you throw that hard. He does it consistently." -CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees
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Scouting report[]

Jiménez's four-seam fastball, nicknamed the "U-Ball", is frequently clocked as high as 100 mph, sometimes touching 101 mph, though his average four-seam fastball will typically register between 95–99 mph. Jiménez attains such velocity so frequently, in fact, that he is generally the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in baseball, having averaged a Major League best 96.1 mph during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.[25] Additionally, no one threw more pitches over 95 mph (1,342) than did Jiménez during the 2008 season.[26]

Jiménez's two-seam fastball exhibits strong "tailing" action (moving inside on a right-handed batter and away from a left-handed batter), as well as good "sinking" action, though not always by design. Velocity ranges from 93–95 mph, though sometimes reaching 96–98 mph. In 2008, Jiménez posted a very robust ground-ball percentage of 54.4%,[27] a testament to this pitch's effectiveness and making him an ideal pitcher for Coors Field, a ballpark known for extra-base hits.

Jiménez is known to throw a split-finger fastball and an occasional forkball, having deceptive downward movement in the 86–91 mph range.

The changeup thrown by Jiménez also exhibits strong "sinking" action, so much so that television commentators unfamiliar with Jiménez often have trouble distinguishing his change-up from a sinking fastball or a split-finger fastball. Jiménez varies the pitch by using both a circle changeup and traditional straight changeup grip. Typically thrown between 85–90 mph, the pitch will dive down and away from left-handed batters.

Jiménez's slider is usually thrown between 85–87 mph while reaching as high as 88–90 mph on occasion. This pitch fools batters with an unusually sharp, late break and is used second most in frequency behind his four-seam fastball. Batters often confuse this pitch with a fastball (the major league average for a fastball is approximately 91 mph)[28] and due to the tight, late-breaking movement of the pitch, are often unable to hit it.

The final pitch in Jiménez's arsenal is a looping curveball. Used infrequently, it is thrown anywhere between 75–85 mph and exhibits a traditional "12–6" break.

Personal life[]

Jiménez lives with his parents in the Lower Downtown area of Denver and is within walking distance of Coors Field.[29]

Honors and awards[]

  • National League All-Star starting roster in the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
  • National League Pitcher of the Month (April – May 2010)
  • No. 24 of Baseball's Best Minor League Players – MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006.[30]
  • No. 30 of Baseball's Best Minor League Players – MLN FAB50 Baseball 2005.[31]
  • No. 32 of Baseball's Best Minor League Players – MLN FAB50 Baseball 2004.[32]

In popular culture[]

Jiménez was mentioned during the Warehouse 13 episode entitled "Merge With Caution" as being one of the Rockies' strengths.

  1. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Sky-high-skills-Ubaldo-Jimenez-earns-pitching%27s-highest-rank%3A-ace
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  6. "Big blasts decide night for Giants" Three dingers sink Rockies in season series finale
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  15. http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?id=300417115
  16. http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100503&content_id=9766220&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col
  17. http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300427127
  18. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300606129
  19. 19.0 19.1 http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100602&content_id=10721334&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col
  20. http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=434622
  21. http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?id=300509119
  22. http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100712&content_id=12217500&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col
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  25. http://www.fangraphs.com
  26. http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2008/11/the_bill_james_5.php
  27. http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/3/25/809848/ubaldo-jimenez-fx
  28. http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/fastball-slider-changeup-curveball-an-analysis/
  29. http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/ubaldo-jimenez-and-his-mama.html.php
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