Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón | |
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![]() Colón 2016
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Acereros de Monclova | |
Starting pitcher | |
Born: May 24, 1973 Altamira , Dominican Republic ![]() |
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Strikes: Right | Throws: Right |
Debut in Major League Baseball | |
April 4, 1997 with the Cleveland Indians | |
MLB statistics (until the end of 2018) |
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Win-loss | 247-188 |
ERA | 4.12 |
Strikeouts | 2,535 |
Teams | |
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Awards | |
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Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973 in Altamira , Puerto Plata ) nicknamed Big Sexy, is a Dominican baseball player who plays as a pitcher in the Mexican baseball league with the Acereros de Monclova. Previously, he was active in major league baseball for eleven different franchises for over 20 years .
Colón was the last player left in the MLB who was still active for the Montreal Expos , which moved to Washington in 2005. He hit the first home run of his career on May 7, 2016. At that time, Colón was 42 years and 349 days old, making him the oldest player in MLB history at the time of his first home run.
Colón is a four-time All-Star of the winner and Cy Young Award of the American League of 2005.
Early years
Bartolo Colón grew up in poor conditions in a village with around 3,000 inhabitants in the province of Puerto Plata . The parents' house had neither electricity nor running water or a connection to a sewer system . Colón often supported his father Miguel with his work on the coffee plantation or in the orchards, where he sometimes helped for twelve hours at a time. It was also Miguel Colón who introduced his son to baseball. Due to his stature compared to his peers, Colón was able to throw faster and harder than the others. During his time in a Dominican youth league discovered him in 1989 talent scouts of the Cleveland Indians and observed his development regularly from there on.
Career
Minor Leagues
The Cleveland Indians signed Colón in 1993 from free agent status , in 1994 he was used for the first time in his rookie-level minor league team, the Burlington Indians . With 12 starts he got seven wins with 4 losses . In 1995 he was promoted to A + level to the Kinston Indians , where he impressed in 21 starts with an ERA of 1.96 and a win rate of 81.3%.
After twelve starts at AA level with the Canton Akron Indians in 1996, Colón was first used at the triple A level towards the end of the season . He was used six times for the Buffalo Bisons , but not as a starter, but as a relief pitcher . In 1997 he acted as the starting pitcher for the bison and achieved a pitchers record of 7: 1 and an ERA of 2.38 in ten missions.
Major Leagues
Cleveland Indians (1997-2002)
On April 4, 1997 Bartolo Colón was appointed by the Indians for the first time in the Major League squad. He made his debut in the away game against the Anaheim Angels , where he pitched five innings as a starter . He allowed four opposing runs, two of which by a two-run home run by Gary Disarcina . By the end of the 1997 season , Colón was used 19 times, 17 times as a starter and twice as a reliever. He also pitched his first full game.
After an ERA of 5.65 in the previous year, Colón increased to 3.71 in the 1998 season and had a positive win-loss balance for the first time with 60.9%. He was invited to the first of three All-Star Games to date and also posted the first two shutouts of his MLB career. The Indians won the Central Division of the American League by nine games over the White Sox and Colón came in his second MLB season for his first play-offs . Opponents in the American League Division Series (ALDS) were the Red Sox , who won the AL wildcard . Colón started Game 4, pitching 5.2 innings and conceding a run. The Indians won the game, but for Colón it was a no-decision . Cleveland qualified for the American League Championship Series (ALCS), in which Colón pitched the entire game in Game 3 against the Yankees . He got three strikeouts and only conceded one run in the 6-1 victory of the Indians, which meant his first win in a post season game. However, the Yankees won the ALCS 4-2 games and the Indians' season was over.
In 1999 he further improved his win rate, 18 wins were compared to five losses and his ERA remained constant. For the first time he also landed in the top 10 in the election for the Cy Young Award of the American League , in which he finished fourth behind Pedro Martínez , Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera . The Indians dominated the regular season and clearly moved into the 1999 ALDS. Opponents, as in the previous year, were the wildcard winners Boston Red Sox, who surprisingly threw the Indians out of the play-offs with 3-2 wins. Colón started in two of the five games. After a no decision in game 1, he suffered his first loss in a post season game in game 4 of the series. He started the match as a starter and was substituted off after just one disastrous inning after allowing two home runs and conceding seven runs. However, the entire team was exceptionally bad that day. The Indians lost the game with a whopping 7:23 runs.
- Bartolo Colón in MLB
Colón (left) with Mike Napoli at the Angels in 2007
2008 with the Red Sox
2009 in the White Sox jersey
At the Yankees 2011
2012 at the A’s
At the Media Day as part of the 2015 World Series with the Mets
In the MLB season 2000 Colón was able to improve his ERA slightly, but still did not come close to his win rate of the previous year. This was also due to a generally weaker season of the Indians, who missed the play-offs as second in the division behind the White Sox.
In 2001 the Indians came back stronger through the regular season and returned to the play-offs after a year break. Colón contributed an almost even balance to the success of the Indians with 14 wins and 12 losses and set a personal record in pitched innings with 222.1. In the ALDS, the Seattle Mariners were the opponents of the Indians. Colón dominated Game 1 as a starting pitcher with eight innings without an opposing run, in which he threw ten strikeouts and ultimately got the win. Game 4 of the series saw the second loss of his post-season career. The Mariners won the series 3-2 and again Colón missed with the Indians the entry into the ALCS.
In the first half of the 2002 season, Colón played more strongly than in previous years. With a record of 10-4 (71.4%) and a significantly improved ERA of 2.55 in the statistics, Colón was handed over to the Montreal Expos on June 27, 2002 together with Tim Drew . In return, the Indians got four Expos players ( Cliff Lee , Brandon Phillips , Grady Sizemore and Lee Stevens )
Colón left the Indians after a total of 162 games, 160 of them as a starter, and a win-loss of 75-45 (62.5%) and an ERA of 3.92.
Montreal Expos (2002)
With the move to the Expos in the National League (NL), the notoriously bad batsman Colón was confronted with the fact that there is no Designated Hitter rule in the NL and he had to regularly compete as a batter himself. Before he had only beaten the Indians in interleague games and had only 29 plate appearances (PA) in 162 games . In the second half of the 2002 season, which he spent with the Expos, he finally had 43 PAs, in which he managed at least five hits and three RBI and even scored his own run. His pitching was constant in the first half of the season with the Indians. He also got a record of 10–4 (71.4%) for the Expos. After six months and 17 starts, the Expos Colón gave up the Chicago White Sox in January 2003 .
Chicago White Sox (2003)
Colón came for the White Sox in the first game of the 2003 season against the Kansas City Royals used and had more play than ever before during the year. In the end there were 35 games with a total of 242 pitched innings. In addition, he was able to win a league-wide statistic for the first time, as he managed most of all players in the American League with nine shutouts. The return to the AL also meant a return to the Designated Hitter rule, having only seven plate appearances in the entire season. This, however, without coming to base once.
After his contract with the White Sox expired on October 27, 2003, Colón was in free agent status.
Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004-2007)
On December 10, 2003, the Anaheim Angels secured the services of Colón, who received an annual salary of more than ten million USD for the first time . In the 2004 season he made 34 starts. On January 2, 2005, the team was renamed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The 2005 season Colón finished as a pitcher with the most wins (21) in the American League, which also gave him the best win rate of his career with 72.4%. After he was invited to the All-Star Game for the second time in the middle of the season, he was awarded the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher of the AL at the end of the season . In the election for the Most Valuable Player of the AL Colón was the first time three votes and ended at Place 23rd
As a result of a right shoulder injury Colón sustained in a play-off game against the Yankees in late 2005, he spent most of the 2006 season on the Disabled List. Due to pain and recurrent inflammation in his shoulder, he only got to ten games, of which he could only win one. The result was his worst win rate to date in a season of 16.7%.
2007 Bartolo Colón came back to more playing time with the Angels, but ended the season after 18 starts with his worst ERA of 6.34 to date. On October 29, 2007 Colón was transferred back to free agent status after the contract expired.
Boston Red Sox (2008)
The Boston Red Sox secured Colóns services on February 24, 2008. Until the end of May he was there with the Triple-A Team Pawtucket Red Sox for use, before he was appointed to the MLB roster of the Red Sox on May 21, 2008. There he started seven times until he was suspended indefinitely by the Red Sox in September 2008 without pay after he traveled to the Dominican Republic for personal reasons and did not return at the agreed time. On October 31, Colón was released from the Red Sox in free agent status.
Chicago White Sox (2009)
In January 2009 Colón signed for the second time in his career a contract with the White Sox, where he was in the starting rotation from the beginning of the season. In 12 starts at the beginning of the season, he achieved three wins with six losses, before he was again incapacitated by an injury and was no longer operational for the rest of the season. Finally, on September 16, 2009, the White Sox released Colón.
New York Yankees (2011)
The 2011 season spent Colón in the New York Yankees , the sixth franchise of his MLB career. For the first time since 2005 he came back to more than 100 pitched innings. After 26 starts and three missions as a relief pitcher there was an ERA of 4.00 with a win rate of 44.4%, before the change to free agent status followed on October 30, 2011.
Oakland Athletics (2012-2013)
On January 24, 2012 Colón signed a contract with Oakland Athletics , in which he was able to achieve a double-digit number of wins in one season for the first time since 2005 in the 2012 season. In 24 starts he had a pitchers record of 10-9. After the end of the season he was released again in free agent status, but signed a new contract with the A's after only four days. At the age of 40, the 2013 season was followed by one of the strongest in Colón's career. With 18 wins he achieved his second best career score and was only better in the 2005 Cy Young Awards season. For the second time in his career after 2002 he was able to end the entire season without a hit by pitch and with three shutouts was the best player in this statistic in the American League. For the third time after 1998 and 2005 he was invited to the All-Star Game and was sixth in the election for the Cy Young Award. He also achieved the best value since 2002 with an ERA of 2.65. The A's also reached the post season in 2013 and Colón started in Game 1 of the 2013 ALDS against the Detroit Tigers . In the first inning, however, he allowed three runs and the Tigers won the game 3: 2 and ultimately the series with 3: 2 games. On October 31, Colón was released to free agent status for the sixth time in his career.
New York Mets (2014-2016)
The New York Mets secured the services of Bartolo Colón on December 14, 2013. For Colón, after the short detour to Montreal in 2002, it was only the second contract with a team of the National League, which now brought him back into the situation, regularly himself to act as a batsman. In the 2014 season he played 31 games, more than since 2005 and was able to win 15 of them and lose 13. As a hitter, he had to live with a batting average of 3.2%, but at least managed two hits and a double.
The regular season of the 2015 season came Colón with 31 starts, 14 wins and 13 losses and was a starter on the opening day against the Nationals. The Mets won their division and Colón reached the post season for the seventh time with one of his teams. In the National League Division Series 2015 against the Los Angeles Dodgers , he was used three times as a relief pitcher, but two of the three games were lost. The Mets still qualified after 3-2 wins for the National League Championship Series 2015 against the Chicago Cubs , in which Colón was again used as relief pitcher in game 4 and was the winning pitcher in the Mets 8-3 win. The Mets sweeped the Cubs and reached the 2015 World Series against the Kansas City Royals , in which Colón was again used three times as a reliever, two times during extra innings. In the ultimately decisive Game 5 of the series, which the Mets lost 2: 7, Colón was on the mound at the end of the game.
Bartolo Colón started the 2016 season as the oldest active player in the MLB. He managed the first home run of his career on May 7, 2016. At this point, Colón was 42 years and 349 days old. This makes him the oldest player in the MLB at the time of his first home run. On July 8, 2016, he was called up to replace the injured Madison Bumgarner in the National League squad for the 2016 MLB All-Star Game . It was his fourth participation in the Midsummer Classic.
Atlanta Braves (2017)
Colón signed on 17 November 2016, one-year contract about 12.5 million US dollars for the Atlanta Braves . After several below average performances (W – L ratio of 2–8), he was released from the team on July 4, 2017.
Minnesota Twins (2017)
On July 7, 2017, the Minnesota Twins signed Colón. After a brief stint on a farm team for the Twins, he made his MLB debut on July 18, 2017 against the New York Yankees .
Texas Rangers (2018)
On March 26, 2018, Colón signed a one-year contract for $ 1.75 million with the Texas Rangers . Manager Jeff Banister said at the beginning of the season that he would use Colón either as a relief pitcher for several innings or occasionally as a spot starter. In fact, he started his first game for the Rangers as a starter, then came off the bullpen twice to start the next six games again.
Mexican baseball league
Acereros de Monclova (2020)
On February 14, 2020, Colón signed a contract with the Acereros de Monclova, a Monclova- based team in the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol .
Web links
- Player information and statistics from MLB or ESPN or Baseball Reference or Fangraphs or The Baseball Cube or Baseball Reference (Minor League) (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bartolo Colon applies for 'Big Sexy' trademark. New York Post , May 18, 2016, accessed May 27, 2016 .
- ↑ a b Bartolo Colon Biography. JockBio.com, accessed May 27, 2016 .
- ↑ a b On Bartolo Colon's 43rd birthday, here are 43 reasons to love MLB's oldest player. mlb.com, May 24, 2016, accessed June 7, 2016 .
- ↑ a b MLB: Bartolo Colon hits home run with 42 - Mets pitcher hits record home run. Spox.com , May 10, 2016, accessed May 10, 2016 .
- ↑ Bartolo Colon on young aces, his weight and a lifetime of baseball. New York Post , June 6, 2015, accessed June 2, 2016 .
- ↑ April 4, 1997 Cleveland Indians at Anaheim Angels Box Score and Play by Play. baseball-reference.com, accessed June 28, 2016 .
- ↑ October 9, 1998 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 3, Yankees at Indians. baseball-reference.com, accessed June 26, 2016 .
- ↑ 1999 Award Votings. baseball-reference.com, accessed June 24, 2016 .
- ↑ October 10, 1999 American League Division Series (ALCS) Game 4, Indians at Red Sox. baseball-reference.com, accessed June 26, 2016 .
- ↑ Baseball Awards Voting for 2005. baseball-reference.com, accessed July 1, 2016 (English).
- ↑ Red Sox Suspend Colon Indefinitely. mlbtraderumors.com, September 20, 2008, accessed June 22, 2016 .
- ↑ At 43, Colon is an All-Star again. mlb.com, July 8, 2016, accessed July 11, 2016 .
- ↑ Steve Adams: Good Sign Bartolo Colon. In: mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017 .
- ↑ Bartolo Colon. In: spotrack.com. Retrieved May 17, 2018 .
- ^ Rangers' Bartolo Colon: Makes first relief appearance. In: cbs.com. April 8, 2018, accessed May 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Bartolo Colon. In: baseball-reference.com. Retrieved May 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Bartolo Colon signs with Monclova Acereros of Mexican Baseball League. In: ESPN. February 14, 2020, accessed on May 15, 2020 .
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Colon, Bartolo |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Big Sexy (nickname) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Dominican baseball player |
DATE OF BIRTH | May 24, 1973 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Altamira , Dominican Republic |