Nineteen years, three all-star appearances, a Cy Young Award, and numerous nicknames later, Bartolo Colon's legend continues to grow. In a New York Mets rotation featuring that of Harvey, Syndergaard, and deGrom there is one pitcher who stands a bit taller (and a whole lot heavier) than the rest. Bartolo, also known as "Big Sexy," has created a career and legacy for himself that goes well beyond the numbers. Pitchers Like Clayton Kershaw may have you in awe with their devastating pitches, but Bartolo has you hanging on every pitch, every at-bat; he even has you watching him in the dugout for what he will do next. This is just the mystique that is Bartolo Colon, and on behalf of all MLB fans out there, never change, Bartolo, never.
It seems that living in a baseball world without Bartolo is almost unthinkable, but rewind back just a few years and this was all but a reality. It seems like only a distant memory now, but after his Cy Young winning season in '05 (yeah, Bartolo even won a Cy Young) Bartolo was a shell of his former self. After winning 21 games in '05, he would go on to win only a combined 14 games in the next four seasons before sitting out the '10 season completely.
Practically rising from the dead, Bartolo resurrected his career with the Yankees, reminding fans from all over that baseball needed him as much as he needed baseball. A world without baseball is like peanut butter without jelly, or and ice cream cone with no ice cream -- you just know something is missing (perhaps Bartolo ate the ice cream and the jelly). On behalf of baseball and all of its fans, thank you for not hanging up the cleats just yet, Bartolo.
Having finished in the top six in Cy Young voting four times in his career, Bartolo has always had the stuff on the mound. Looking more like a Big Papi than the Big Unit, Bartolo has continued to amaze us, not only with his god-given talent but with the ways he just continues to surprise us time after time. "Bartolo has done it, the impossible has happened," uttered the announcer as Bartolo became the oldest player in major league history to hit his first home run. Hats off to you Bartolo, always keeping us on our feet, always full of surprises, and always a thrill to watch.
Thank you for being you. Thank you for being everything we needed in a "big sexy," or the "big donkey" and everything else we call you. In a league that seems to be removing the fun by the day you are a walking proof of what fun is. Always a smile on your face and always a fan of the game you are what is right with baseball and for that we the fans thank you and beg you to never change, never retire, and never stop having fun.
