Jimenez's work ethic comes from his parents, who raised him and his sister, Leidys, in a San Cristobal ghetto known as Hoyo Caliente—Hot Hole.

Ubaldo is a class act. He is one of those guys who never takes a day off.

His father, Ubaldo Sr. was a bus driver and security guard, and his mother, Ramona, a nurse. They viewed education as their son's ticked out of poverty. On weekends, he and Leidys took long bus rides to attend three-hour English classes in Santo Domingo.

"I played baseball from eight in the morning until noon, and after games I'd take the bus to Santo Domingo," said Jimenez. "I was always so tired, I'd fall asleep. My friends back home were having fun, having girlfriends—I didn't have anything. I was always pretty angry. But now I thank my parents." (Albert Chen-Sports Illustrated-7/05/10)

Growing up, Ubaldo's hero was pitcher Pedro Martinez—with posters of him on his bedroom walls. Like Pedro in his prime, Jimenez is lean, loose and as flexible as a gymnast. Like his idol, Ubaldo has long, spindly fingers, which helps explain why he gets so much late action on his pitches.

Though his favorite player was Pedro, his favorite team was the Braves. And Ubaldo still wears his socks high, llike Chipper Jones.

Growing up in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, Jimenez was a dreamer.

"I dreamed about playing baseball in the Major Leagues, but I always thought I'd be a doctor," Ubaldo said.

In 2003, Ubaldo ranked third in the Rockies' organization in ERA and strikeouts.

Before 2004 spring training, Baseball America ranked Jimenez as the #4 prospect in the Rockies' organization. And just before 2005 spring camp opened, the magazine again had Ubaldo as 4th-best in the Colorado system.

Before 2006 spring training, Baseball America had Ubaldo as 5th-best prospect in the Rockies' farm system. And in the spring of 2007, they had Jimenez at #6 in the Colorado organzation.

When Jimenez made his Major League debut in 2007, he had his father move in and be his roommate for the season. During that time, Dad would help Ubaldo Jr. unwind by playing music and going on shopping trips. They even made a trip to the mountains, although Dad came down with a bug and came to regret it.

And in 2008, he invited his Mom and Dad, along with his sister and her husband with their son. His Dad was his roomy again in 2009 in Denver, with his Mom visiting regularly. And in 2010, Mom and Dad were back, sharing a loft apartment in downtown Denver. Ubaldo walks the three blocks to and from the ballpark.

"I learned from my parents. They'd always tell me you should talk to everyone. It doesn't matter how poor they are, or how rich," Jimenez said.

Ubaldo's teammates look up to him. He serves as a sounding board. Because he speaks fluent English, he is a valuable resource for Latinos who struggle with the language.

Jimenez is very quiet and soft-spoken with and engaging smile. But on the mound, his eyes are piercing and he wears a scowl on his mouth that even surprises him. Ubaldo smiled and said he actually used to be a chatty fellow growing up in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.

"In high school, I used to talk a lot—they had to call my Mom to the principal's office," Jimenez said. "But in my work, on my job, I try to be a serious guy. It's like a battle. There's no way you're going to be smiling or doing anything like that. You have to beat the other guy."

Ubaldo's mother was a nurse who once wanted her son to go to medical school.

On April 17, 2010, Jimenez pitched the first no-hitter in the Rockies' 18-year history, beating the Braves, 4-0, in Atlanta. Over the final three innings, he threw only 27 pitches, though he threw 128 total during the game.

The average velocity on his fastball was 97 mph, and topped 100 mph three times. The ninth inning brought Jimenez back to his childhood. He had never thrown a no-hitter, but he had long admired a great hitter. Chipper Jones was his idol—that's why Jimenez wears his high stirrups.

Ubaldo runs five or six miles every morning following a start, no matter how many pitches he pitched the night before, and no matter how late the game ended. He runs sprints in the outfield on the other days between starts.

He is all sinew muscle—not an ounce of fat on him.

Ubaldo's Mom spoils him with her home-cooked meals. His favorite: "I like goat," Ubaldo says. "I love when she makes that. I think her food gives me more energy and helps me pitch better. It makes me happy to eat her cooking."

The Jimenez family likes dogs. At home, in the Dominican, Ubaldo said, "We have seven dogs. There are pitbulls, Chihuahuas and an English bulldog—his name is Goliath. He is getting big."

April 2, 2012: MLB suspended Ubaldo for the first five games of the 2012 season in the wake of a bench-clearing incident at Salt River Fields, when Jimenez hit Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki with a pitch to ignite an on-field altercation. After investigating the ugly episode, Jimenez was handed the suspension, along with an undisclosed fine. Ubaldo appealed.

MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli did in a Q and A with Jimenez midway through 2014 spring training.

Favorite food: The Dominican flag: rice, chicken, and beans.

Favorite movie: For Love of the Game.

Special talent: I can dance. I learned in my neighborhood. Everybody dances. My favorite is bachata, which is a Dominican kind of dance.

If I wasn't a baseball player I'd be: A doctor or in the Air Force.

Favorite offseason place: Home to the Dominican.

Prized possession: I have a picture of my 9-year-old niece, Crisley, which I always put up in my locker. That and the Dominican flag go everywhere with me.

Ubaldo says of his off-field hobbies: "I do like to dance a lot. And I like to read books. I’ll read anything, about life, history. I like to read. That’s pretty much all I do. I like to spend a lot of time with my family. I like to have fun. I like to smile.”

Jimenez was set to begin his dream to play professional baseball as a 16-year-old. But his mother, Ramona, had other plans.

"The Mets offered me around $20,000, but my mom said no. She said, 'You are not going to sign until you finish high school,'" Jimenez said.

July 23-26, 2016: Jimenez was on the paternity list. 

September 12, 2016: Jimenez became a US citizen.

Feb 5, 2020: Ubaldo Jiménez, owner of the greatest pitching moment in Rockies history, hasn’t thrown a Major League pitch in two seasons. But, he not only insisted he isn’t done, he’s also willing to go back to where it all started.

Jiménez, 36, who threw the Rockies’ only no-hitter (April 17, 2010) and according to WAR is the most successful pitcher in Rockies history, was announced as one of 21 non-roster invitees to Spring Training. The last time Jiménez pitched was 2017, when he went 6-11 with a 6.81 ERA in 31 games (25 starts) for the Orioles.

Jiménez, who signed with the Rockies in 2001 as a teenager and pitched for the club from 2006-11, had no intention of retiring after his contract with the Orioles ended. He just had more important matters.

“I continued getting ready for the next year. I even got a Major League offer. But unfortunately, at the time, my wife was going through a high-risk pregnancy,” Jiménez said. “Thus, I decided to say home and be with my family. However, I continued my routine pretty much the whole year.”

Jiménez reported that his wife, Mariví, and baby pulled through the pregnancy. They have two daughters, Jimevi, 3, and Ilanny, 1. Another child is on the way.

The reunion has been in the works. A conversation with Rolando Fernandez, the Rockies’ vice president of international scouting and development, led to sessions with Edison Lora, the Rox’s Latin American field coordinator. Back in ’01, Fernandez signed Jiménez and Lora was his first pro pitching coach.

Jiménez passed muster with his old Rockies mentors and this winter pitched for Licey in the Dominican Winter League. He went 1-4 with a 3.03 ERA (29.2 innings pitched, 10 earned runs), with 27 strikeouts and 13 walks. He reports throwing his fastball 90-95 mph.

“I’m actually pitching at the Rockies’ complex [in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic] against the young prospects,” he said. “I’ve never had any problems with my arm, and my body feels good. Plus, I still love the game.” (T Harding - MLB.com - Feb 5, 2020)

March 6, 2020: The biggest delivery in the Jiménez family might happen before Ubaldo even steps on the mound against the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch. It might happen once the game is over or any time in between.

Jiménez’s wife, Marivi, is 39 weeks pregnant with their third child and is expecting to have the baby any day now. The right-handed pitcher hopes the baby arrives on a scheduled off-day for the Rockies, because otherwise he won’t be there for the child’s birth. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he does not plan on taking paternity leave.

“My wife is very supportive, and we agreed that if I’m pitching, I should stay here,” said Jiménez, 36, who has not pitched in the big leagues since 2017. “I enjoyed being with my family and being there for my kids when I was home, but my wife knew it is time for me to get back to work and that’s what I’m doing.” (J Sanchez - MLB.com - March 6, 2020)

TRANSACTIONS

In 2001, Jimenez signed with Rockies scout Rolando Fernandez.

January 27, 2009: Jimenez and the Rockies agreed to a four-year, $10 million contract, with a club option for both the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

July 30, 2011: The Indians acquired Ubaldo from the Rockies; sending pitching prospects Drew Pomeranz, Joe Gardner, and Alex White, along with first baseman Matt McBride to the Rockies.

October 31, 2012: The Indians picked up the $5.7 million club option for 2013.

November 1, 2013: Ubaldo rejected the Indians $8 million option, instead becoming a free agent. Then, on November 4, 2013. the Tribe extended a one-year, $14 million qualifying offer to Jimenez for the 2014 season, giving the club some protection and the pitcher another option to consider.

Should Jimenez decline the one-year proposal and sign with another team, Cleveland would receive a compensatory pick in the 2014 draft. (All compensatory picks are made between the first and second rounds, in reverse order of winning percentage.)

January 17, 2014: Jimenez signed with the Orioles, receiving a four-year, $50 million contract.

Nov 2, 2017: Jimenez chose free agency.

Jimenez has a 91-95 mph four-seam FASTBALL, once reaching as high as 100 mph. But he's more around 91-95 at most, now. His 88-92 mph two-seam SINKER has excellent armside running and sinking action. He keeps that excellent heater low in the strike zone, on or below the knees. And he has an 83-86 mph SPLITTER. He has an 88-92 mph CUTTER, but rarely uses it anymore.

Ubaldo made his cut fastball more of a SLIDER at 81-84 mph with more late life. His 74-77 mph CURVEBALL can buckle the knees of a righthanded batter. And he uses it against lefthanded hitters, too. It drops down like a pool ball into a pocket. (May 2016)

2016 Season Pitch Usage: 4-seam Fastball: 14.1% of the time; Sinker 41% of the time; Change 1.9% of the time; Slider 16%; Curve 6.9% of the time; Cutter 2.1%; and Split 17.8% of the time.

In 2009, Ubaldo's go-to pitch was the four-seam fastball, sitting in the mid-90s. Since then, he uses the two-seam sinker the most, but his cutter/slider and four-seamer are also in use, giving him five pitches in his incredible arsenal.

And Jimenez varies the five pitches. So his catcher actually has like 10 different signs, instead of the usual 5 or 6 for most pitchers. (2014)

2013: Ubaldo's best pitch is the two-seam sinker. It was considered one the best pitches in the game. The movement on the two-seamer makes it almost unhittable.

Ubaldo has the confidence to throw strikes. He has learned what hitters are endeavoring to do and pitching to their weakness. He has changed from a thrower to a pitcher, now setting up hitters more effectively.

Jimenez' mechanics are most definitely not the prettiest you'll find. He has an awkward downward stabbing motion just before he prepares to raise his arm to throw, which can't help matters.

Poor posture and a lack of fundamental strength began troubling Ubaldo around 2013, though mechanics have always been a problem for him.

In 2010, Jimenez had a great year because he has excellent command of that powerful heater, and his improved arm angle gives him a hard, downward motion that is very difficult for hitters to pick up.

Plus, his slider is a swing-and-miss pitch, but only when he is ahead in the count.

2011: Ubaldo grips the ball deep in his hand, allowing his extremely long fingers to maintain contact with the seams longer than most pitchers do. The result is a tighter, more violent spin on the ball—and exaggerated movement. He further generates velocity with an unorthodox delivery, one you would not teach any kid.

Jimenez pulls his right arm back farther than any other pitcher in baseball, seeming to pause with his arm out-stretched before he windmills it forward. He gets tremenous speed on his arm action. It is like a slingshot.

Like his hero, Pedro Martinez, Ubaldo has long spindly fingers that are like #2 pencils, which get him incredible late action on his pitches.

Watch Jimenez after he gets the ball back after an out and it's been thrown around the infield. He takes the throw on the back of the mound. As he steps up toward the rubber, he fixes his hat with his right hand. He keeps the ball in his hand and fixes his cap with his thumb and index finger. The ball is just sitting there in his hand, and it looks like a Titleist Pro VL.

In May 2012, the Indians worked with Jimenez on correcting a flaw in his mechanics. The tweak involved Jimenez's left shoulder. While poring over video, Indians pitching coach Scott Radinsky noticed that Jimenez's lead shoulder was dropping more than in the past. Specifically, Radinsky was comparing footage from the past two years to video from Jimenez's stellar 2010 campaign.

Jimenez has been working hard in his side sessions on getting back to his prior form.

"It's not only [about velocity]," Jimenez said. "It's trying to get myself in a better position to deliver the ball. That's something I haven't been doing. My front shoulder has been too open, so I'm trying to work on creating torque and power out of it. That's something I did before."

September 22, 2015:  Jimenez reached his 100th career win.

Jimenez's extremely long arm action has kept him from ever finding consistency. He’ll have stretches of dominance when he’s locked in, but he’s always one or two bad outings away from getting out of sync. (2015)

May 18-August 1, 2004: Jimenez was on the D.L. for 10 weeks at Visalia with the beginnings of a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade. When he came back and pitched on August 1, he threw just two pitches, at 58 and 62 mph, before leaving again.

He then returned to action in the fall in Instructional League ball.

April 2-19, 2011: Ubaldo went on the D.L. with a cuticle cut on his right thumb. The cut forced Jimenez to guide the ball in his start.

It was his first trip to the D.L. in the Major Leagues.