Ubaldo Jimenez Beans Troy Tulowitzki, Justifies Why Rockies Traded Him: Fan’s Take

It's really too bad that the spring training game today between the Colorado Rockies and the Cleveland Indians wasn't televised. Considering that it was the first time that former Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez was facing his old team on the mound, it's really surprising that it wasn't.

However, it was also a good thing, as the game turned violent fairly quickly. Jimenez beaned Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the elbow on Tulowitzki's first trip up to bat. Reportedly, after Tulowitzki got hit, Jimenez came off the mound and charged him. That caused the benches to clear (which honestly seems really pointless and stupid in a spring training game).

I was sitting in a sports bar in Denver last summer when news came through that Jimenez had been traded to the Indians. Many casual Rockies fans couldn't understand why Jimenez had been traded. He had a breakout season in 2010 and was considered by many to be in the running for the National League Cy Young award. He pitched the Rockies first no-hitter in history against the Atlanta Braves. He also managed to win 19 games with a 2.88 ERA.

However, when the Rockies didn't renegotiate his contract but extended the contracts of both Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, Jimenez apparently got frustrated. At the time, fans didn't know why Jimenez struggled in 2011 but continued to root for him to rebound. Once the Rockies traded Jimenez, I strongly suspected issues that hadn't become public knowledge yet. It seemed strange to give up on a pitcher who had just had a 19-win season.

It turns out that the rumors of clubhouse trouble was true. This past off-season the story broke that there indeed were bad feelings and tension before Jimenez was traded. Jimenez has denied it, but plunking his former teammate today provided some insight that rumors of his poor attitude were indeed true. Obviously, the Rockies made the right choice in trading the disgruntled pitcher.

Julie lives in Denver and has been a staunch supporter of the Colorado Rockies since she arrived. She considers Coors Field to be a great fan experience, and is greatly looking forward to wearing her Tulowitzki jersey this season.

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