It's Lima Time again, now in Long Beach

Long Beach has such a forward-thinking recycling program going on. But it never seems to work.

Like the time when Dennis Rodman thought he could make another comeback, in 2003, and there was an ABA team that thought it would help him out. It was based in Long Beach (linked here). Called the Jam. It was right at the time he was taping that TV reality show, "The Mole."

We've already remembered too much of that.

Now, it's one-time Los Angeles singing sensation/Dodgers pitcher Jose Lima who has found a team that will take him. And, again, it's Long Beach putting a tent on the circus.

The Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League announced Friday that the 36-year-old signed a player contract for the upcoming season. He will do more than sing for his supper. He'll have to impress Garry Templeton that he's less crazy than him.

"I'm excited to have Jose Lima pitching for us this year," said Templeton, the Long Beach Armada manager. "His experience, skill, and leadership will be a great benefit to us. I'm glad that we have the opportunity to showcase his skills and give him the chance to rejoin a major league club."

Lima's career in the big leagues, as you may recall, started in Detroit in 1994 and included a 21-win season with Houston, a stop with the Dodgers in 2004, throwing for the Mets in 2006, then the Mexican League in 2007 and the Korean pro leagues in 2008.

Somehow, he didn't make it into the Korean WBC rotation.

"It will be a lot of fun for our fans to experience the passion and joy that Jose brings to the game," said Long Beach Armada GM Tony Soares. "We will definitely have special promotions and fan activities on the nights he pitches and give the Armada faithful lots of "Lima Time!"

The Armada (official site linked here) actually have an open tryout Saturday in Irvine (it costs $75, so don't do it on a whim) leading into the May 21 season opener.

Somehow, the Orange County Flyers, and manager Gary Carter, took a pass on this. Oh, wait. The Flyers took a pass on Carter as well. Their skipper this season: Phil Nevin (team site here).