On Tuesday, the New York State Senate took time to honor and recognize former American League Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon, who starred for the New York Mets and became a fan favorite.
Per the Daily Gazette out of Schenectady:
The New York State Senate honored beloved longtime Major League Baseball pitcher Bartolo Colón on Tuesday for his retirement after a 21-year career that included three years with the Mets.
The resolution was introduced by state Sen. Luis Sepúlveda, D-Bronx, who during his floor remarks said Colón’s achievements extend far beyond the baseball diamond.
“His career, marked by remarkable achievements, including a Cy Young Award, reflects not just athletic prowess, but a deep commitment to excellence,” Sepúlveda said. “But beyond his impressive records, what truly sets Bartolo apart is his impact on the community. He has been a role model, an inspiration, and a beacon of hope for many young people, showing that with hard work and dedication, any dream is achievable.”
Colon had an incredible major league career arc, which is what makes him so fascinating.
1) He played for 11 different teams during his 21-year career. Any time you run through a third of the league, that automatically makes you interesting. He spent parts of six seasons with the Cleveland franchise, part of one with the Montreal Expos, two years with the Chicago White Sox, four years with the Los Angeles Angels, one year with the Red Sox, one year with the Yankees, two years with the Athletics, three with the Mets, one with the Rangers and part of one with the Braves and Twins each.
2) Colon pitched in the majors until he was 45. If you can pitch until your mid-40s, that also makes you interesting automatically. And his style of pitching completely changed as he got older, which was fascinating to watch. When he first came up, he was a flamethrower. By the end, he was a nibbler who worked the corners with precision. He featured an incredible two-seamer the last few years of his career.
3 On that point, he figured out how to adapt as he got older. He made the All-Star team in three different decades of his career. He was there as a 25-year-old, a 32-year-old and he made it twice in his 40s (age 40 and age 43).
All that said, Colon was also suspended for steroid use, making him part of the conversation on one of the biggest stains in the game history.
All told, Colon went 247-188 in his career with a 4.12 ERA. He started 552 career games and threw more than 3,400 career innings. He had more than 2,500 career strikeouts.
He won a Cy Young award in 2005 with the Angels and also got Cy Young votes in four different seasons.
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