Jason Marquis' final start of 2011 was one example of what he stands for as a pitcher -- and one reason the Twins reached agreement with him on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Pitching for Arizona against the Mets on Aug. 14, Marquis took a batted ball off his right leg. He finished that inning, took his turn at bat in the bottom of the inning and then threw 13 pitches in the fourth inning before falling to the ground.
He had suffered a broken fibula.
"Well, I don't know any other way, really," Marquis, 33, said Thursday during a conference call with Twin Cities media. "My job is to take the ball every five days and try to go deep into a game and try to win. I pride myself on that."
Marquis made at least 28 starts every season between 2004 and '09. He was on pace to do that again last season before the broken leg took him out of the Diamondbacks' postseason run.
A 2009 All-Star with Colorado, Marquis then signed a two-year, $15 million deal with Washington. He slumped badly in 2010, when he had bone chips removed from his elbow, finishing 2-9 with a 6.60 ERA in 13 starts. He bounced back to go 8-5 with a 3.55 ERA for the Nationals in 2011 before being dealt to Arizona.
The Twins need his durability, as Carl Pavano was their only starter to reach 200 innings last season.
"This helps us in many ways," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. "It gives us a veteran starter in the rotation. It gives us some depth if we have some injuries."
