Ubaldo Jiménez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ubaldo Jiménez |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Jiménez for the Colorado Rockies in 2010
|
|||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: January 22, 1984 Nagua, Dominican Republic |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 26, 2006, for the Colorado Rockies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 22, 2017, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 114–117 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.34 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,720 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Ubaldo Jiménez García (born January 22, 1984) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He was born in the Dominican Republic and later became an American citizen. Ubaldo played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, and Baltimore Orioles.
Jiménez was chosen as an MLB All-Star in 2010. In that same year, he made history by pitching the first no-hitter for the Rockies team. He earned his 100th MLB win on September 22, 2015, while playing for the Baltimore Orioles.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Ubaldo Jiménez grew up in the Dominican Republic. His father was in the Dominican Army, and his family often struggled to make ends meet. When Ubaldo was 16, the New York Mets baseball team offered him a contract. However, his mother wanted him to finish high school first.
On April 25, 2001, he signed with the Colorado Rockies for $50,000. The Rockies allowed him to continue his studies while training, which was important to his family.
Ubaldo Jiménez's Baseball Career
Playing for the Colorado Rockies
Starting in the Major Leagues (2006–2008)
Ubaldo Jiménez made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on September 26, 2006. He played as a relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A few days later, on October 1, he made his first start as a pitcher.
His first MLB win came on July 29, 2007, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched well, helping the Rockies win 9–6. Later that year, he played in his first Major League Baseball postseason game on October 6. This was during the 2007 National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Rockies won that game and swept the series.
Jiménez also pitched in the 2007 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox ended up winning the series. In 2008, Ubaldo had a good season, winning 12 games and having a 3.99 earned run average. He was known for throwing one of the fastest fastballs in the Major Leagues.
Becoming an All-Star (2009–2011)
Before the 2009 season, Jiménez signed a four-year contract with the Rockies. In 2009, he continued to improve, winning 15 games.
Ubaldo also played for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He set a record there by striking out 10 batters in just four innings.
On April 17, 2010, Jiménez achieved a major milestone: he pitched a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. This was the first no-hitter in the history of the Colorado Rockies team! A no-hitter means the pitcher does not allow any opposing player to get a hit during the entire game. His fastball even reached 100 miles per hour during this game.
Because of his amazing performance, Jiménez was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for April. He won the award again in May, becoming the first Rockies pitcher to win it more than once. He also set a team record for pitching 33 straight innings without giving up any runs.
By July 2010, Jiménez had an incredible record of 15 wins and only 1 loss. He was chosen to be an All-Star and was even named the starting pitcher for the National League team. This was a big honor! He finished the 2010 season with 19 wins, which set a new record for the Rockies.
In 2011, Jiménez started the season with the Rockies, but the team was thinking about trading him.
Joining the Cleveland Indians
On July 31, 2011, Ubaldo Jiménez was traded to the Cleveland Indians. This was a big change for him.
In 2012, Jiménez faced a challenge when he was suspended for five games by MLB. This happened after he hit a former teammate with a pitch. He decided not to appeal the suspension. He struggled a bit that season, leading the league in wild pitches.
However, Jiménez improved a lot in 2013. He finished the season with 13 wins and a much lower ERA of 3.30. After the 2013 season, he chose to become a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Playing for the Baltimore Orioles
2014 Season
On February 19, 2014, Jiménez signed a four-year contract worth $50 million with the Baltimore Orioles.
His first season with the Orioles was a bit tough. He had a 6–9 record with a 4.81 ERA. He was on the team's playoff roster but did not get to pitch in the main series.
2015 Season
Jiménez started the 2015 season very strong. In his first game, he pitched 7 shutout innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. On April 17, he was ejected from a game for the first time in his career after hitting a batter.
He had a great first half of the season, but his performance dipped in the second half. He finished 2015 with 12 wins and 10 losses.
2016 Season
In 2016, Jiménez had a challenging start to the season. However, on September 5, he pitched his first complete game since 2011. A complete game means the pitcher throws for the entire game without being replaced. He finished the season with 8 wins and 12 losses.
In the Wild Card game, Jiménez entered the game in the 11th inning. He gave up a home run that ended the Orioles' season.
2017 Season
.jpg)
The 2017 season was Jiménez's last with the Orioles. He had a difficult year, setting career highs for earned runs and home runs allowed. He finished his four years with the Orioles with a record of 32 wins and 42 losses.
Return to the Colorado Rockies
On February 5, 2020, Jiménez signed a minor league deal to return to the Colorado Rockies. However, he was released by the team on July 20, 2020.
Ubaldo Jiménez officially announced his retirement from professional baseball on September 17, 2020.
How Ubaldo Pitched
Jiménez was known for his powerful pitches. His four-seam fastball often reached speeds of 96 miles per hour, and sometimes even over 100 mph! He was one of only a few pitchers to throw so many fast pitches.
He also threw a two-seam fastball that had a strong "tailing" action, meaning it moved sideways. This pitch was great for getting batters to hit ground balls, which was very helpful at Coors Field, the Rockies' home stadium.
Ubaldo also used a split-finger fastball and a forkball, which had a deceptive downward movement. His changeup also had a strong "sinking" action, making it hard for batters to tell it apart from his fastballs.
His slider was another important pitch. It had a sharp, late break that often fooled batters. Finally, he had a curveball that dropped in a traditional "12–6" motion, though he used it less often.
Awards and Achievements
- National League All-Star starting pitcher in the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
- 2 times National League Pitcher of the Month (April and May 2010)
- Ranked among Baseball's Best Minor League Players in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
See also
In Spanish: Ubaldo Jiménez para niños
- List of Colorado Rockies team records
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
