José Lima
A flamboyant pitcher whose electric personality and 21-win season for the Astros made him a cult hero known as 'Lima Time.'
1972–2010 (age 38)·Dominican baseball player·Birthday: September 30·Generation X
Biography
José Lima was a force of nature on the mound, a right-hander whose confidence and showmanship were as potent as his fastball. His career was a rollercoaster, marked by highs like his dazzling 1999 season with the Houston Astros, where he won 21 games and earned an All-Star nod, and difficult lows as he bounced between teams. He branded every start 'Lima Time,' a spectacle complete with fist-pumps, shouts, and a genuine love for the game that made him a fan favorite wherever he played. More than just a pitcher, he was an entertainer who recorded a merengue album and believed his energy could will his team to victory. His tragic death from a heart attack at 37 cemented his status as a vibrant, unforgettable character in baseball lore.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
José was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When José Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
José's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Died at 38
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Won 21 games for the Houston Astros in 1999, finishing fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting.
- Selected as a National League All-Star in 1999, the only All-Star selection of his 13-year career.
- Pitched a complete-game shutout for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2004 National League Division Series.
Did You Know?
He released a merengue music album titled 'Lima Time!' in 2000.
He famously claimed he could 'pitch with my eyes closed' and once wore sunglasses on the mound during a night game.
After his playing career, he served as a pitching coach for the Licey Tigers in the Dominican Winter League.
“It's Lima Time! That's my time. When I'm on the mound, I feel like I'm the king.”
