Bartolo Colón
From BR Bullpen
Bartolo Colon
(Bart)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 250 lb.
- Born May 24, 1973 in Altamira, Puerto Plata, D.R.
[edit] Biographical Information
Bartolo Colon was 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA for the Aguilas Cibaeñas in the 2008 Caribbean Series. The game was seen as an attempt to win interest from major league teams.
After being out of the majors the entire 2010 season, Colon impressed New York Yankees coach Tony Pena during the 2010-11 Dominican League season and was offered an invitation to the team's spring training. He earned a spot in the bullpen and made his first three appearances of 2011 in relief of a struggling Phil Hughes, doing a solid job in long relief. When Hughes was placed on the disabled list on April 15 after three ineffective starts, Colon took his place in the starting rotation. Colon's remarkable return to form prompted questions about the experimental surgery that was performed on his shoulder and elbow in 2010, particularly rumors that human growth hormone, which is banned by Major League Baseball, was used as part of the procedure. Surgeon Joseph Purita, who performed the surgery which also involves the use of stem cells, denied that HGH had been used or that there was anything wrong with a procedure that he described as "the future of sports medicine". On May 30th, he pitched his first shutout in almost five years, blanking the Oakland A's, 5-0. However, Colon was placed on the disabled list on June 11th after leaving a start against the Cleveland Indians with a strained right hamstring. He was 5-3, 3.10 at the time. He returned in winning form on July 2nd, beating the New York Mets, 5-2. He finished the year 8-10, 4.00, in 29 games (26 starts), having pitched 164 1/3 innings for the Yankees and making an important contribution to a division title. He did not play in the postseason however.
After the season, it was clear that the Yankees, while happy that Colon and fellow veteran Freddy Garcia had bailed them out in 2011, were looking to build a younger and more reliable starting rotation for the future. As a result, they did not seriously pursue re-signing Bartolo, and on January 15, 2012, he moved to the Oakland Athletics as a free agent on a one-year deal worth $2 million.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1995 Pitcher of the Year Carolina League Kinston Indians
- 2-time AL All-Star (1998 & 2005)
- AL Cy Young Award Winner (2005)
- AL Wins Leader (2005)
- AL Complete Games Leader (2003)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 6 (1999, 2000 & 2002-2005)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 2 (2002 & 2005)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 7 (1998, 1999 & 2001-2005)
- 200 Strikeouts Seasons: 2 (2000 & 2001)
| AL Cy Young Award | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Johan Santana | Bartolo Colon | Johan Santana |
