Jimenez Out for 5 Games

With the baseball season just a few days away, every baseball fan is looking forward to the start of a new season to see how their teams improved from last year.

The Cleveland Indians squared off against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday in a regular spring training game, however it was far from normal. Ubaldo Jimenez was traded to the Indians last season from the Rockies and it left a sour taste in Jimenez's mouth. He was very upset over the deal because he has pitched well for the Rockies for several years.

Jimenez struggled early last season on the Rockies and they pulled the trigger on the trade with the Indians. When Troy Tulowitzki came up for the Rockies on Sunday, Jimenez struck him with a pitch to the elbow.

After Tulo was hit by the pitch a few words were exchanged and Jimenez rushed off the mound and met Tulowitzki to speak his mind. The benches were cleared but no punches were thrown.

Jimenez was suspended for five games after the incident because officials believed the hit on Tulowitzki was intentional. The Indians planned on using Jimenez as their second day starter, but now he will have to remain out of the lineup for five games. This is a big loss for the Indians even though it is only for the first five games of the season.

Jim Tracy, general manager of the Rockies, said that this was one of the worst things he has ever seen in all his years in the league, referring to the hit on his star short stop.

Being an Indians fan I disagree completely with the ruling and I am glad that Jimenez and the Indians are appealing the suspension. Before Tulowitzki came to bat, Jimenez walked a batter on four straight balls and finished the game with five walks. All spring training Jimenez has had trouble locating his pitches and the control just is not there.

Players get hit with pitches all the time, but the fact that Jimenez is still upset over being traded sparked some turmoil in this situation. It is ridiculous how they can rule him out for five games on an accident. Numerous people keep saying he threw at Tulowitzki intentionally, but the fact of the matter is, it was just a pitch that got away from him.

The Indians started off last season red hot with the best record in the league for a while. Everything was clicking for the Tribe until late in the season when the Detroit Tigers went on a hot streak and passed the Indians to take the AL Central. I personally feel that the decision to suspend Jimenez is uncalled for for numerous reasons. But it's only the beginning of the season, hopefully it wont affect the attitude of the rest of the team as the season progresses.

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/04/ubaldo_jimenez_doesnt_think_he.html