Jimenez has a hunger for success

Young Dominican pitcher desires to perform like mentors DENVER -- An insatiable hunger fuels Ubaldo Jimenez's passion for greatness. It is what drives him, challenges him and keeps him motivated. "Every time he takes the mound, it's meaningful to him," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. Jimenez, 24, is in his second year with the Rockies, but he has already established himself as one of the premier young pitching talents in all of baseball. And it is because of his hunger. A hunger that began to gnaw at him when he was just a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic. Pedro Martinez was every Dominican boy's idol in the late 1990s. Jimenez was no exception. He watched Martinez, a native son, dominate with the Boston Red Sox, winning two Cy Young Awards. Jimenez studied Martinez's intimidating demeanor, how he never backed down... [read full story]