Ubaldo Jimenez situation

[UnderPressure]

I'm surprised no one has posted about this. I don't have a link but he has been suspended for 5 games according to ESPN.

I've just learned that this guy was a diva during his last days as a a Rocky. He complained to the marketing department about Tulowitzki and Gonzalez jerseys outnumbering his jerseys at the team store. Wow.

[GiambiJuice]

Here's the video.

[Shea Knight]

In Jimenez's defense...

He says Tulo was calling him a "chicken" and he had to show him he was a "man."

Got that, kids?

If someone calls you names, or you even think they might have, throw a ball at them--that's the MATURE thing to do, after all!

[davewashere]

I wonder if Jimenez realizes even most Cleveland fans don't like him and weren't pleased with the trade. He was a great pitcher for a few months, but that doesn't give him Superstar for Life status in Major League Baseball. The Rockies didn't offer him a huge contract because they are rational and they didn't want to throw money at a replacement level pitcher. He's 100% in the wrong here, and he should apologize and spend less time whining about his more-accomplished and wealthier former teammates and more time working on becoming a decent pitcher again. Did any of his Indians teammates back him up in the press after this incident? Frankly, I would have laughed if they had all stayed in the dugout or at their positions as the Rockies bench cleared. I know unwritten baseball protocol doesn't allow that, but it would have really put Jimenez in his place.

[GiambiJuice]

I wonder if Jimenez realizes even most Cleveland fans don't like him and weren't pleased with the trade. He was a great pitcher for a few months, but that doesn't give him Superstar for Life status in Major League Baseball. The Rockies didn't offer him a huge contract because they are rational and they didn't want to throw money at a replacement level pitcher. He's 100% in the wrong here, and he should apologize and spend less time whining about his more-accomplished and wealthier former teammates and more time working on becoming a decent pitcher again. Did any of his Indians teammates back him up in the press after this incident? Frankly, I would have laughed if they had all stayed in the dugout or at their positions as the Rockies bench cleared. I know unwritten baseball protocol doesn't allow that, but it would have really put Jimenez in his place.

He may be declining - time will tell. But for his career, Jimenez is far above replacement level. You are selling him way short. In 2009-2010 combined, he was the 2nd best pitcher in baseball after Halladay according to WAR. If we look from 2008-2010 (3 seasons), he's still among the top 10 starting pitchers in all of baseball, according to WAR. Now 2011 may have been a bump in the road or it could be the beginning of a rapid decline, like I said time will tell. But you are selling him short by calling him a replacement level pitcher off of one bad season.

[Zito75]

He may be declining - time will tell. But for his career, Jimenez is far above replacement level. You are selling him way short. In 2009-2010 combined, he was the 2nd best pitcher in baseball after Halladay according to WAR. If we look from 2008-2010 (3 seasons), he's still among the top 10 starting pitchers in all of baseball, according to WAR. Now 2011 may have been a bump in the road or it could be the beginning of a rapid decline, like I said time will tell. But you are selling him short by calling him a replacement level pitcher off of one bad season.

I hung out A LOT at the Rockies ST practice complex in Tucson from 2007-2010. I've met each player and coach from that time period. I can tell you that Ubaldo generally was really cool until the last year he was a Rockie. He stopped signing autographs and chatting with the fans. He started standing by himself in the drills they ran through each day. Tulo is no boy scout himself - he's a bit of a diva. I wasn't surprised to hear he got plunked - I was more surprised to hear of the 5 game suspension. But to cry about your jersey not selling? Come on Ubaldo, chicks dig the long ball!!! Plus you had your own license plate commercial!

[RaysFan_98]

Honestly? I don't think it was intenenial he was having command issues all game and was walking a lot of guys.

[Biggtone23]

The only reason this is getting as much attention as it is is because the media is looking for the baseball equivalent of bountygate. Anytime there is a beanball feud this year the media will be all over it.

[PeteF3]

Um, are we all missing the fact that IMMEDIATELY after hitting him, Jimenez ran towards home plate and basically dared Tulowitzki to fight him? And we're still arguing that this was "control" or "blown out of proportion"?

[davewashere]

He may be declining - time will tell. But for his career, Jimenez is far above replacement level. You are selling him way short. In 2009-2010 combined, he was the 2nd best pitcher in baseball after Halladay according to WAR. If we look from 2008-2010 (3 seasons), he's still among the top 10 starting pitchers in all of baseball, according to WAR. Now 2011 may have been a bump in the road or it could be the beginning of a rapid decline, like I said time will tell. But you are selling him short by calling him a replacement level pitcher off of one bad season.

Ok, so replacement level might be an exaggeration. He was absolutely terrific for several months in 2010, but take away that season and he's got 9.9 WAR over 695 innings. That's nowhere near the level of top pitchers. Adjusted for Jimenez's average 210 innings over a full 162 game season, it's about 3 WAR per season. I wouldn't have risked signing a pitcher like that to a big long-term deal just because he had one great season (and he was really only great for about half of that 2010 season), and I think the Rockies were wise to trade him when they did.

[Bulldog19]

So this guy gets suspended 5 games, appeals so he can make his first start and has reportedly backed off the appeal and will start his suspension tomorrow. And the team will be able to adjust their pitching rotation due to days off where he really won't miss anything. Anybody else find something wrong here?

[Iso7x]

@Shea Knight

In the old days we would throw what ever we could get our hands on at each other. It wasn't necessarily a ball. When I was about ten a kid was bearing down on me to kick my butt. I threw a rock, split open the top of his hand. Now days my parents would have lost the house.

[Bulldog19]

In Jimenez's defense...

He says Tulo was calling him a "chicken" and he had to show him he was a "man."

Got that, kids?

If someone calls you names, or you even think they might have, throw a ball at them--that's the MATURE thing to do, after all!

That explains everything! On another site, there are parents on there who are saying that a JV player was right in throwing a baseball at a coach out in Arizona... I guess he must have learned it from a Major Leaguer so it must be the right thing to do!

[KHenry14]

Jimenez had some of the sickest stuff I've ever seen....yet for whatever reason, he's seemingly in decline. I bet that entered into some of his frustration with the Rocks, but that doesn't excuse him throwing at Tulo.

[Mathies_dane]

Word on the street here in Denver is that after Ubaldo had the big start in the ASG he became a prima donna. No autographs at ST. No interaction with teammates and fans. Basically a clubhouse cancer and I am afraid it's spreading to Cleveland.