Bartolo Colon is doing things we all dream of doing; having fun at his work craft at such an old age.
Even better, Colon improves as he ages. The 43-year-old starter is having another banner season for the Mets.
With the way he is going, he would be hard-pressed to retire anytime soon. He could go on until he is 50 years of age with the trajectory he is on.
Colon continues to have another fine season for the Mets by giving up one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings last night in the Mets’ 4-1 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. It was good enough for him to earn his 10th win of the season.
Colon is 10-6 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 22 starts this season. In his three years with the Mets, the durable starter is 39-32.
Where would the Mets be without Colon this season? Matt Harvey was terrible, and he is now out for the season after having thoracic outlet syndrome in his right shoulder. Steven Matz has been erratic. Noah Syndergaard has been fine, but lately, he has struggled. Zack Wheeler has yet to pitch this season, and it remains to be seen if he is pitching this year.
Colon has not only been a good leader in the clubhouse, but he has been reliable when it comes to being an innings eater and winning games.
The veteran is not going to overpower or wow anyone. It’s not spectacular or exciting, but it gets the job done. All he does is throw soft tosses and hitters have to hit and, remarkably, they seem to have hard time hitting it.
Yeah, the Yankees are not the Bronx Bombers anymore as last night’s game proved, but Colon did shut down a good offensive team in the Cardinals last week.
It’s amazing how he does this at his age. By now, he should be finished as a Major League pitcher. Most pitchers have nothing left. The last pitcher that has pitched at a late age was Jamie Moyer, who pitched until he was 49 years old as a member of the Colorado Rockies.
Colon is even doing this as a pitcher who looks out of shape to say the least. That’s impressive and admirable. It’s no wonder why Mets fans love him. To them, he’s like an average person from the old ball yard. He can relate to them.
It’s not only Colon’s pitching that impresses people. When he hit his first Major League home run off then-Padres starter James Shields this season, he had many baseball fans fired up, whether it was in the living room, Twitter, sports bars and Petco Park. He gets people awestruck when he makes a defensive play.
Colon is a highlight reel that gets everyone talking, an illustration of an athlete that leads by example.
He’s also a favorite by his teammates. Colon doesn’t come off as a diva like Harvey or as a guy who acts entitled. He is a guy that knows how to rally around his teammates in a way that only he can explain.
It’s a great thing the Mets re-signed him this off season. He has been so invaluable to the staff. Bartolo is a guy Syndergaard and Matz can learn from when it comes to finding a way to get it done without their performance strengths. To be fair to those two young Mets pitchers, Colon has been doing this for a long time.
Colon will likely be back as a Met next year. And he should be. As a starter who can win 13 games a year, he’s an insurance in case any of the Mets young starters get hurt. He is a great liaison to the Latin American players. Bartolo is a fan favorite.
Considering there are not many great athletes that have that wow factor in this town, one can say Colon is one of New York’s favorite athletes.
It’s hard to come up with a negative when it comes to Colon at his age. He is a rare specimen when it comes to pitching.
He is one of a kind! He will be one of the most beloved Mets when all is said and done.
It’s safe to say Mets fans won’t see a pitcher like Colon again.
There’s only one Colon.
