MINNEAPOLIS -- Jason Marquis' final start of 2011 was one example of what he stands for as a pitcher -- and one reason why the Twins reached agreement with him on a one-year, $3million 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. I pride myself on my competitiveness, my toughness and try to stay in the game and pitch.
"I've been hit before. Obviously, it doesn't feel good. My job is to pitch. Physically, if I'm able to do that, that's what I'm going to do."
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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. The righthander, who is joining his seventh team, is 104-98 with a 4.55 ERA over 12 big-league seasons.
A 2009 All-Star with Colorado when he went 15-13 with a 4.03 ERA, 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 and getting injured in his third start there.
The Twins need his durability, as Carl Pavano was their only starter to reach 200 innings last season. The club won't breathe easy until Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn and Francisco Liriano report to Fort Myers and exit spring training healthy.
"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."
The only arm trouble Marquis has had came in 2010, when he missed nearly three months.
"He's a ground-ball machine," Ryan said. "He throws the ball over the plate. I think this ballpark (Target Field) will suit our needs and his. We've got to support him defensively."
Even Marquis added that he "pitches to contact and uses the defense to win games." He does so with a sinking fastball that has good movement. For his career, he averages 1.1 home runs given up per nine innings.
The Twins were working hard on signing righthander Paul Maholm before talks broke down in recent days. So they turned their attention to Marquis, who has never pitched in the American League.
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Marquis didn't sound too concerned about switching leagues. He said he will rely on pitching coach Rick Anderson and scouting reports to come up with ways to shut down hitters he's not familiar with.
"It's baseball," Marquis said. "Pitch execution. Obviously, the more times you do it, the more success you have, no matter what league you are in."
