Noted national baseball treasure Bartolo Colon is gracing the Braves with his presence this year. Baseball rejoiced after he signed a one-year deal with Atlanta in November, and now MLB.com has a new video short out in anticipation of Bartlanta taking over (it’s really a mock trailer in anticipation of the upcoming Oscars, but we won’t say anything).
In all seriousness, Colon is workhorse on the mound. At 43 years old, he’s one of the most consistent starters in baseball. His home run and strikeout rates aren’t the stuff of a Cy Young winner, but he’s steady. His FIP hasn’t been over 4.00 since 2009 and he had the lowest walk rate per nine innings (1.5) in 2016 of anyone in the National League. In 2015 he led all of baseball.
Then there was the dinger he hit last year that sent all of baseball into a tizzy, and for good reason. Colon reminds us why baseball is so beautiful. Not just because of his silly antics and really good defensive reflexes, but his all-around commitment to the game. The man can make just about anyone love the game, and if you don’t after that, then you just don’t have a heart.
Here’s to another year of baseball filled with wonderful Colon highlights.