I remember the first year they got him, he was a ho-hum middle innings guy with a suck-ass ERA. The next year Dierker dropped him into the rotation and he won 16 games. He was a completely different pitcher as a starter, challenging hitters, taking his lumps and moving on (he gave up more HRs than BBs that season.) He was a throwback in a way -- a guy with not terrific stuff but a lot of guile, and a lot of guts. He knew if he could stay out there long enough, there was a good chance the team would pick him up, and he'd earn another "W". I cannot say exactly why, but to me Lima epitomizes the Dierker Era, both the good and the not so good, more than any other single player.
And, oh yeah, he threw the ball over the fucking plate. Come what may. I don't think that can be overestimated.
The most impressive thing about Lima to me was that during the 2000 fiasco, when he was being ridiculed and crucified by reporters and fans every day, he didn't really duck out of sight or avoid interviews or generally act like a prick. He kept himself out there in harm's way. That to me is why he could still pull out those one-game or even one-season surprises late into his career, when he had been mostly written off. He had fucking stones.
See ya, Lima.
