Here’s a great debate to go with bar pretzels and a brew: If you were building a major league team, whom would you choose as your ace, Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez or Giants righty Tim Lincecum?
It’s a tough call.
Heading into tonight’s start at Coors Field against the Diamondbacks, Jimenez is 8-1 with a 0.99 ERA. He is one of only three pitchers in the expansion era to begin a year winning eight of their first nine starts and posting a sub 1.00 ERA, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The others were Juan Marichal with the Giants in 1966 (8-0, 0.69) and Fernando Valenzuela with the Dodgers in 1981 (8-1, 0.91).
Heading into tonight’s start at AT&T Park against the Nationals, Lincecum is 5-0 with a 2.35 ERA. He’s coming off his worst start of the season at Arizona on Thursday, allowing five runs over five innings. He gave up five hits, walked five and struck out six, needing 100 pitches to record 15 outs.
Surely that was an aberration for the reigning two-time National League Cy Young winner.
Jimenez is 26 years old. He has 93 career starts and 569 2/3 innings pitched. His career numbers: 39-29, 3.49 ERA, 499 strikeouts, 251 walks.
Lincecum is 25. He has 99 career starts and 660 innings pitched. His career numbers: 45-17, 2.85 ERA, 751 strikeouts, 237 walks.
Jimenez’s motion is slightly unorthodox. He brings the ball downward, to his hips, then fires it toward the plate. Most pitchers don’t bring the ball below chest level.
Lincecum’s delivery is unique, like a Picasso painting.
In a why the Cleveland Indians (among other teams, including the Rockies) passed on Lincecum in the 2005 draft.
“A stumped Indians scouting department could not agree whether the undersized right-hander was an ace, a closer, a set-up man or a horrific medical disaster waiting to happen,” Verducci wrote.
“It looks like his head is going to snap off and his arm is going to fly off,” Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro told Verducci.
Yet Lincecum not only has survived, he’s thrived, consistently throwing the ball in the mid-90s and unleashing a 98-mph heater now and again. Still, there is that nagging feeling that Lincecum’s 5-foot-10, 172-pound frame, or his golden arm, is going to give way.
Jimenez? He’s a strapping 6-4, 210 pounds. He looks like a Nolan Ryan type who can throw forever. In a game last August against the Reds, Jimenez threw 13 pitches that exceeded 100 mph. This season, on May 3 against the Padres, he threw eight pitches that exceeded 100 mph.
It’s fair to say that Lincecum, with his wide array of stuff, has clearly been the more polished pitcher up to this point.
Jimenez has just now learned to harness his talent. He can throw six different pitches: a blazing four-seam fastball, a two-seam sinking fastball, a slider, a curveball, a changeup and a split-finger pitch. In the past, he sometimes got too cute, forgetting that he is first and foremost, a power pitcher.
So here’s my verdict: I wouldn’t have said this back in April, but based on what I’ve seen this season, I would build my team around Jimenez.
Add Ubaldo
If I had some extra bucks, or enough frequent-flier miles, I would head to San Francisco on Memorial Day to see Jimenez and Lincecum face off at AT&T Park. The last time they hooked up, it was a classic. Last August in San Francisco, Lincecum outdueled Jimenez in a 2-0 Giants’ victory. Lincecum pitched eight innings of four-hit ball, striking out eight.
Trivia time
Jimenez doesn’t give up very many home runs, but he gave up a landmark homer on Sept. 5, 2007 at Coors Field. What made that home run so significant? (Answer below)
Polling
Tuesday’s “Lunch Special” poll asked readers if Denver would be a good site for a future Super Bowl. Not surprisingly, readers overwhelming said yes. With more than 600 votes cast, 90 percent said Denver would be a good host.
Quotable
“Snow on the East Coast in February is always a concern. However, over the past 44 years on Feb. 2, only 4 percent of the days had snowfall, with 1985 recording the highest amount of 3 inches.” — , looking far, far ahead to the 2014 Super Bowl that will be played in the New Jersey Meadowlands.
In case you missed it
Tyler Matzek, the Rockies’ first-round pick in the 2009 June draft (11th overall selection) made a stellar pro debut with Single-A Ashville (N.C.) Monday night.
Just a year removed from leading his Capistrano Valley (Calif.) High team to the state championship, he took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Reports are that he reached 98 mph on the radar gun and consistently threw at 95-96.
The Rockies gave the 19-year-old a club-record $3.9 million signing bonus.
Trivia time
Jimenez served up a home run to the Giants’ Barry Bonds. It was the 762nd and final homer of Bonds’ career.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1720 or psaunders@denverpost.com
