The New York Mets have announced Bartolo Colon has decided to officially retire as a Met. The team will have an official ceremony on September 17.
Hopefully, then, this bizarre and nonsensical Colon fascination with this fanbase will end.
Yes, Colon had his moments. The behind the back flip was great. The homer was just an impossible moment. Other than that, he was meh to bad.
Over his three year Mets career, Colon was 44-34 with a 3.90 ERA, 1.225 WHIP, 1.3 BB/9, and a 6.3 K/9. He had a 3.79 FIP and a 96 ERA+
As the FIP and ERA+ indicate, he was a below average pitcher. Yes, he was an All-Star in 2016, but that was more of a function of Jacob deGrom declining, and Terry Collins being the manager.
Colon was actually quite good in 2016, and he did help that pitching staff stay afloat with all the injuries. He certainly was a reason they returned to the postseason.
Speaking of the postseason, he was not good in 2015.
It was overshadowed by Chase Utley’s felony assault of Ruben Tejada, but it was Colon who blew that game. He allowed the big hit to Howie Kendrick in the seventh. To be fair, Collins was dumb to try to use Colon for one batter in that spot.
In Game 1 of the World Series, he took the loss. In Game 5, he threw gasoline on the fire allowing a base clearing double to Lorenzo Cain all but ending the Mets hopes of a comeback.
Again, with Colon the legend didn’t match the production.
There’s also the off the field difficulties. He was caught using PEDs. He avoided a Biogenesis suspension on a technicality. He wasn’t paying child support, and when he was an All-Star in 2016, the lone child he didn’t bring was the one he had with his paramour.
In his career, he played the most for Cleveland and the Angels. The Yankees gave him a chance after his suspicions sojourn to Germany, and the Athletics gave him a contract after that. He also left the Mets to purposefully personal records instead of helping them try to win a World Series.
For whatever reason, Colon feels a deep connection to a Mets team he once wanted to leave. In the most bizarre thing in New York sports history, there’s a strange sect of Mets fans who adore him.
Colon is now getting a day and honor true Mets greats never got. It’s a sham and embarrassment to the franchise. The only hope is that this forever ends the fascination with him.
With Marcus Stroman leaving the game with a hip injury, the Mets already thin pitching depth might’ve suffered another blow. These injuries have led to selecting the contracts of MLB retread Jerad Eickhoff and a promising prospect Tylor Megill, who really isn’t ready.
As is always the case, this has led to the bring back Bartolo Colon nonsense. Yes, it’s nonsense, and this time it was Howie Rose asking Mets GM Zack Scott about it. Hopefully, it was tongue-in-cheek:
Zack Scott gets asked by @HowieRose if the Mets are on Bartolo Watch ?? pic.twitter.com/nqDbnaYoTv
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 22, 2021
Just so we’re clear. Colon last pitched in the majors as a 45 year old in 2018. In 24 starts and four relief appearances for the Texas Rangers, he was dreadful going 7-12 with a 5.78 ERA, 82 ERA+, and a 5.47 FIP.
There is zero chance three years later he’s any good. It doesn’t matter how many nonsense workout videos you see or his fooling semipro players. He’s terrible, and he’s going to be terrible.
For all intents and purposes, the nostalgia aspect doesn’t make all that much sense. He was an okay pitcher with the Mets who was horrid in big spots in the World Series. There was also the matter of his refusing to pay child support. Really, he wasn’t the lovable guy some make him out to be.
Colon pitched better than expected when he was with the Mets. He hit a homer. He made some great defensive plays. He made an All-Star team, and he helped drag the 2016 Mets to the postseason.
Enjoy those memories. However, that’s all they are memories because there’s no clinic in Germany, and MLB testing has gotten much better meaning there’s no Fountain of Youth this time.
Instead, let’s enjoy Megill’s debut, hope Corey Oswalt gets stretched out, see if Thomas Szapucki can put it together, and wait to see if Carlos Carrasco can return soon. If not, let’s see what trades this front office can swing in the event any starters need to miss any more time. Really, just anything other than Colon.
Justin Toscano of The Record wrote the latest in what appears to be a series of articles giving the pros and cons of keeping Brodie Van Wagenen on as the New York Mets General Manager.
There has been much written on Van Wagenen’s tenure, especially here, but when we look at it the seminal moment might’ve been the Jed Lowrie signing. After all, that was the “Come get us” moment.
As explained by Michael Mayer of MMO, things didn’t quite work out that way.
List of players with more hits with the Mets than Jed Lowrie:
Ray Searage
Dae-Sung Koo
Jerry Blevins
Eduardo Nunez
Mike Glavine
Turk Wendell
Yogi Berra
Aaron Heilman
Vinegar Bend Mizell
Larry Bowa
Dock Ellis
Billy Beane
Kenny Rogers
Warren Spahn
Don Zimmer— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) October 8, 2020
Really, the best way to sum up how poorly the Lowrie signing went is Bartolo Colon had more homers with the Mets than Lowrie had hits. More to the point, Colon, who set a Major League record for PA before his first walk, drew as many walks as Lowrie did with the Mets.
Colon has nine more runs, 15 more hits, four more doubles, one more homer, and six more RBI than Lowrie has with the Mets. They’ve also played the same amount of innings at second, third, and short.
Now, this isn’t to poke fun at Lowrie. He’s been a very good player throughout his career, and by all accounts, he’s been a good guy.
Rather, this just yet again highlights how horrific Van Wagenen’s tenure as GM has been. As a result, the articles looking for reasons for him to stay are really reaching.
Looking at everything, once Steve Cohen is approved, it’s time to come get a real GM.
Back in 2013, many were scratching their heads as to why Sandy Alderson and a cash strapped Mets organization would use a substantial amount of their limited funds on a soon to be 41 year old Bartolo Colon coming off of a PED suspension. As was usually the case during his tenure, Alderson knew better than everyone.
In 2014, Colon stuck in the rotation in the rotation, and he would pitch over 200 innings. That was exactly what the Mets envisioned Colon to be. He was supposed to be an innings eater for an emerging Mets rotation. As luck would have it, Colon proved to be more than that.
Colon was a leader of that pitching staff which won the pennant in 2015. He worked with the pitchers on mechanics and bullpens. He worked with them on how to attack batters. As was the case, he would text them to check in on them to make sure they were alright. Mostly, Colon provided that veteran leadership which makes a difference. It is something people oft talk about, but in practice it is rarely impactful. Colon was impactful.
During the process, Colon became a fan favorite. There were several reasons for that. Aside from his girth and laughable attempts at hitting, Colon was a pitcher who took the ball every fifth day and rarely made excuses. He was also an exceptional fielder.
In 2016, he should have won the Gold Glove. From 2014 – 2016, Colon had the second best DRS among all National League pitchers. This spoke to how athletic he truly was and how much effort he put into helping his team.
During his tenure with the Mets, it was always expected he would be pushed out of the rotation eventually. However, that never happened because Colon proved to be extremely durable, and sadly, Zack Wheeler wasn’t. That proved to be an extremely valuable trait in 2015 and 2016.
In 2015, Colon was the Opening Day starter, and he was really the only Mets pitcher who did not need to skip a start. During that season, he would set a unique Major League record by becoming the first ever pitcher to beat one team (Orioles) while pitching for seven different teams (Indians, White Sox, Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, Athletics, Mets).
While he was a mainstay in the rotation during the regular season, he was moved to the rotation for the 2015 postseason. That postseason was a mixed bag for Colon, but he had come out of the bullpen in Game 4 of the NLCS to pick up the win as the Mets swept the Cubs:
While Colon had highlights in 2014 and 2015, the 2016 season was definitively his best and most storied in his Mets career. During that season, partially due to an injury to Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom stepping aside, Colon would be an All-Star in San Diego. While he was an All-Star in San Diego that year, that was not the most noteworthy thing he did in San Diego that year.
On May 7, 2016, Colon homered off of James Shields in what was one of the most unlikely homers you will ever see. When you hear the call, you hear the disbelief and incredulousness in Gary Cohen’s voice. With that homer, Colon became the oldest ever Major Leaguer to hit his first homer.
While the story of that season might’ve been the homer, the real story was how well he pitched. That 2016 season was clearly his best in a Mets uniform, and with every Mets starter not named Syndergaard needing season ending surgery, the Mets needed him more than ever.
For the second straight year, Colon had led the league in BB/9. Overall, he was 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA and a 117 ERA+. Colon was at his best in August when the Mets were still staying afloat and were primed to make their run. In that pivotal month of August, he was 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA. Over the final two months of the season, he was 6-2. That helped the Mets make their improbable run to the Wild Card making consecutive postseasons for the second time in their history.
Colon never got a chance to pitch in that postseason, and he would leave the Mets in the offseason as he was pursuing an opportunity to start to give him a chance to surpass Dennis Martinez for the most wins by a Latin born pitcher. When he left, he left behind a team who missed his presence in the clubhouse and a fan base who lovingly nicknamed him Big Sexy.
So far, Colon is the best Mets pitcher who has ever worn the number 40, and if he had his druthers, he would return to the Mets and wear the number again. Whether that happens, remains to be seen.
Previous
1.Mookie Wilson
2.Mackey Sasser
3. Curtis Granderson
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. David Wright
6. Wally Backman
7. Jose Reyes
8. Gary Carter
9. Todd Hundley
10. Rey Ordonez
11. Wayne Garrett
12. John Stearns
13. Edgardo Alfonzo
14. Gil Hodges
15. Carlos Beltran
16. Dwight Gooden
17. Keith Hernandez
18. Darryl Strawberry
19. Bob Ojeda
20. Howard Johnson
21. Cleon Jones
22. Al Leiter
23. Bernard Gilkey
24. Art Shamsky
25. Pedro Feliciano
26. Terry Leach
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Frank Viola
30. Michael Conforto
31. Mike Piazza
32. Jon Matlack
33. Matt Harvey
34. Noah Syndergaard
35. Rick Reed
36. Jerry Koosman
37. Casey Stengel
38. Skip Lockwood
39. Gary Gentry
Because of the regular season, we normally overlook what happens on a particular day in the history of any franchise. For example, if it wasn’t for everyone wearing the number 42, it is very likely Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier on April 15 would be little more than a footnote year-in and year-out.
However, with there no baseball going on, we get to appreciate just how much significant events happen on the same day. For the Mets, on May 7th, there were two fairly significant events which happened.
The first was Matt Harvey‘s near no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. This was back when Harvey was drawing Tom Seaver comparisons, and this game was a perfect example why. He was not just dominant, but he was pitching smart and effective. Really, none of the White Sox batters had a chance against him.
If not for Ruben Tejada, he would have had a perfect game. That’s how great he was on this day. If not for the Mets offense, he would have had a complete game shut out. Instead, he would have to settle for one of the most incredible no decisions you will ever see.
It is easy to forget but in 2013, Harvey is what gave Mets fans hope as they hoped the team would eventually turn the corner to become World Series contenders again. He started the All-Star Game in Citi Field, and he was neck-in-neck with Clayton Kershaw in the Cy Young chase until he succumbed to Tommy John. Remember, this was Kershaw at his peak, which was back when Kershaw might’ve been the best pitcher anyone has ever seen. Harvey was that great.
Three years later, May 7 would be the day Bartolo Colon did the seemingly impossible. Someone who was just about the worst hitter you will ever see, and a player who obviously had little to no interest in hitting, would hit a homer. What made it all the more incredulous was it happened in Petco Park, one of the most difficult ballparks to homer:
Colon made Major League history that day by becoming the oldest player to hit his first homer. Arguably, he also made history by becoming the worst ever hitter to homer in a game.
Harvey’s near perfect game and Colon’s homer were significant events which both happened on the same day. Especially given the fact there is no baseball being played, those are two events which should be denoted and remembered. The Mets did do that with Colon:
A day we will never forget. Four years ago, Big Sexy belted his first career home run and it was magical.
?? @GEICO ?? pic.twitter.com/TTqPet8Mbh
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 7, 2020
The Mets did not do the same with Harvey. There was no tweet commemorating one of the best pitching performances in team history. It’s also very likely you will not see it on SNY anytime soon.
This is part of the strange odyssey of Harvey, and it is part of the way over-the-top adoration of Colon during his time with the Mets.
There is no doubt Harvey had his missteps with the Mets. Many did not appreciate Scott Boras trying to protect Harvey’s career the way he once did with Stephen Strasburg, who was last year’s World Series MVP. There was the missed workout on the eve of the 2015 postseason, and then there was that one day he was a flat out no show at the ballpark.
Eventually, Harvey pushed back against a demotion to the bullpen, and he wouldn’t accept a demotion to the minors. This led to his eventual DFA and trade to the Reds.
Lost in all of that was Harvey’s great 2013 season. Also lost was how he returned to form in 2015. In those seasons, Harvey was synonymous with hope. He gave you hope the Mets could turn it around, and then he gave you hope the Mets could win it all. With that 2015 postseason, if not for some serious managerial missteps by Terry Collins, he would have pulled it off.
Keep in mind, in doing that, Harvey had to ignore the advice of his agent and doctors. He would pitch more innings than anyone has post Tommy John surgery. It would not be his fault his career was forever altered by TOS. In the end, he did everything he could do to help the Mets, and he gave us some moments we truly cherised.
As for Colon, well, he was a below average pitcher during his time with the Mets (96 ERA+), and he was just not good in the 2015 postseason.
Still, he had his moments, especially in the field. There are many defensive plays no one will forget like his behind the back flip against the Marlins. Overall, Colon was a good fielding pitcher, and he was frankly robbed of the Gold Glove in 2016. It should also be noted he was very good in 2016, and he was one of the main reasons why that team went on the great run they did to get back to the postseason.
Ultimately, fans are entitled to love who they love for whatever reason. After all, there is a certain irrational element in being a fan of any team or sport. You have to stick by when people give you every reason there is not to stick with them. That goes double, triple, and much much higher for a Wilpon run franchise.
That said, Harvey was great with the Mets, and he gave everything he could give them. As such, it is flat out wrong to see his great moments go completely overlooked by the team. When you boil it down, he should also get more respect and love from the fans, the same fans who once chanted his name and cheered him vociferously during the 2013 and 2015 seasons.
For every Chipper Jones, there are guys like Willie Harris. The Harrises of the world bother you most because they shouldn’t be Mets killers. They shouldn’t bother anyone other than their own team.
The official worst of that group is Christian Colon.
His RBI single in the 12th inning of Game 5 proved to be the series clincher. He came to the Mets in 2018, and he did nothing for them as he stayed in Triple-A all year.
In pure evil fashion, the Reds called him up for this series. He would deliver the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth . . . off a Seth Lugo curve to boot.
We can point to many other things today. The Todd Frazier error. Only two runs of support for Zack Wheeler. Pick whatever you want.
After you get through all that, you once again have Christian Colon effectively ending the Mets World Series dreams. How is that possible?
With Noah Syndergaard‘s torn lat, it is once again time to revisit the Mets decision to allow Bartolo Colon to depart in free agency. It is a moment that has been revisited on multiple occasions. It was first addressed when the Mets allowed him to go to the Braves without so much as an offer. It was addressed when Steven Matz and Seth Lugo suffered injuries. Its been addressed with every struggle Robert Gsellman has had on this young season. So why not just get it out of the way for good and for all.
The Mets were correct in their decision not to re-sign Bartolo Colon.
For those clamoring for the popular player, do you know what his stats are this season? They’re not good. Through five starts, Colon is 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA and a 1.310 WHIP. He’s averaging 5.2 innings per start. The only intradivision team he has handled well was the Mets. Against the Marlins, he pitched four innings allowing six runs on seven hits. Against the Phillies, he allowed four runs on 11 hits. For a Mets team that needs a stabilizing force in the rotation the can eat up innings and get some quality starts, Colon has shown that so far he is not really the answer.
If you want to argue, he certainly is a better pitcher than that, you may have an argument. However, his 77 ERA+ and his 4.40 FIP suggest you don’t have much of an argument. You could say that it’s early, but is it ever early for a 44 year old pitcher?
But this overlooks what was the real issue at the time Colon hit free agency. The Mets could not guarantee him a rotation spot. Last year, Gsellman was 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA, 1.276 WHIP, 169 ERA+, and a 2.63 FIP. Lugo was 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA, 1.094 WHIP, 152 ERA+, and a 4.33 FIP. On top of that, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Matz had successful surgeries and looked to be ready on Opening Day. Furthermore, Zack Wheeler was on track to be ready to be on the Opening Day roster. If everyone is healthy and in peak form, Colon was realistically the seventh or eighth best pitcher on the staff. Simply put, there was no spot for him.
Colon knew that too. That’s why he took the Braves one year $12.5 million deal. He took the deal because the Braves were guaranteeing him a rotation spot that would permit him to chase down Juan Marichal and Dennis Martinez to become the winningest Latin born pitcher in major league history. Colon chose the path with the best contract and the clearest path to the record over returning to the Mets or going to another contender.
This is no shot at him. Last year, Colon took less money and risked getting demoted to the bullpen in order to chase that elusive World Series. He just wasn’t as eager to do that this time. The Mets also weren’t eager to bring him back with their pitching depth.
Instead, the Mets used that $12.5 million this offseason. That money helped the Mets to build a bullpen. Jerry Blevins was signed for $5.5 million. Fernando Salas was signed for $3 million. Addison Reed received a $2.55 million raise, and Jeurys Familia received a $3.325 million raise. As much as the bullpen has struggled to start the season, imagine it right now without Blevins. So overall, it is not as if that $12.5 million wasn’t spent on pitching this offseason. It was. It was just spent on a bullpen that Colon was not willing to pitch in to start the season.
So no, the Mets shouldn’t be second guessed for letting Colon go to the Braves. Rather, the Mets should be questioned as to why the choice for fifth starter is between Rafael Montero or Sean Gilmartin. Logan Verrett and Gabriel Ynoa were traded to the Orioles for cash considerations in separate deals this offseason. Scott Feldman signed with the Reds for $2.3 million. There are a number of pitchers available who could have provided a little extra depth including the player everyone loves to hate, Jon Niese. Say what you want about him, but he’s much better than Montero.
There’s also the matter that the Mets knew this could happen. Once the Mets opened the season with Lugo and Matz hurt, the team’s depth was gone. As reported by Kristie Ackert in the New York Daily News, Sandy Alderson backed off signing a pitcher like Doug Fister because he was willing to wait until late May or June for them to be healthy. Alderson willing took a gamble with the pitching depth, and he lost.
Overall, the Mets aren’t in trouble because they didn’t re-sign Colon. They are in trouble because the team purged the non-Montero options they had in the organization, and they were willing to wait almost two months to have quality major league pitching depth.
With Wednesday’s start, Bartolo Colon faced off against many of his former teammates including his former catcher Travis d’Arnaud and his fellow rotation mate Jacob deGrom. Overall, in Colon’s three years with the Mets, he has made many teammates, and during the course of the season, he will face many of them.
What is interesting about Colon is that he has played with many former Mets before he even put on a Mets uniform. In fact, Colon’s teammates with other teams have ties to the Mets dating back as far as 1984. In total, Colon has played with 71 former or current Mets in a location other than New York. Can you name those players? Good luck!
Kevin Mitchell Dwight Gooden Tony Fernandez Jason Jacome David Segui Paul Byrd Carl Everett Edgardo Alfonzo Carlos Baerga Jeff Tam Masato Yoshii Octavio Dotel Shawon Dunston Shane Halter Orel Hershiser Rich Rodriguez Jerrod Riggan Rick White Matt Lawton Tom Martin Kane Davis Steve Reed Roberto Alomar Mike Bacsik David Weathers Gary Matthews Graeme Lloyd Cliff Floyd Karim Garcia Matt Ginter Ricky Gutierrez Brian Daubach Danny Graves Ramon Castro Darren Oliver Julio Franco Ricky Ledee Jose Valentin Endy Chavez Jon Adkins Sandy Alomar Aaron Sele Scott Schoeneweis Tony Armas Luis Ayala Gustavo Molina Ricardo Rincon Brian Schneider David Justice Fernando Tatis Lance Broadway Alex Cora Francisco Rodriguez Chris Carter Raul Valdes Jason Bay R.A. Dickey Willie Harris D.J. Carrasco Jack Egbert David Aardsma Collin Cowgill Aaron Laffey Carlos Torres Chris Young Buddy Carlyle Eric O’Flaherty Jerry Blevins Curtis Granderson Yoenis Cespedes
For the past three years, Bartolo Colon has pitched relatively well for the New York Mets, and he has become a fan favorite. This past season we saw what might have been his best attribute of all – his durability. With the Mets having a young staff, veterans like Colon, especially durable ones, are worth their weight in gold. That might be why Colon has been paid well during his Mets tenure.
With that said, there is some danger in keeping Colon around for another year or two. Colon has become a soft tosser whose fastball averages 90 MPH. It’s really important to note this because he throws his fastball an astounding 89% of the time. As he ages and his fastball velocity drops even further, the greater likelihood he is going to get hit and hit hard. It is not too dissimilar with what happened with another fanbase’s beloved soft tosser.
In 2006, the Phillies acquired Jamie Moyer to help their rotation, and to help them chase the New York Mets. With the 44 year old Moyer in the rotation, the Phillies would catch the Mets in 2007. That year, Moyer was 14-12 with a 5.01 ERA and a 1.445 WHIP. The following year, Moyer would not only help the Phillies win the National League East again, he would also help the Phillies win their first World Series in 28 years. It was also his best season in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform.
In 33 starts, the 45 year old Moyer was 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.329 WHIP. He had a 117 ERA+, and he also averaged 83 MPH with his fastball. Moyer would be a free agent after the 2008 season and a Phillies team basking in the glow of a World Series title, and a Phillies team putting too much stock in an outlier season from a 45 year old pitcher, gave Moyer a two year deal. As it should have been expected, Moyer struggled in 2009 and 2010. After that, Moyer’s Phillies career was over, and realistically speaking, Moyer’s major league career was basically over too.
This is the position the Mets are now with Colon. After recording an 84 and 91 ERA+ in his first two seasons as a Met, Colon rebounded to have a 120 ERA+ in 2016. Colon did it despite him losing some MPH off his fastball. As with Moyer, the Mets are in a position to ask themselves whether the 2016 season was sustainable or an outlier. Given Colon’s age and how hard he throws, the chances lie more with Colon’s 2016 season being an outlier than it is what can be expected of him in 2017 or beyond.
By all accounts, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Steven Matz should be ready for Opening Day. We know Noah Syndergaard will be ready to go. Even if Zack Wheeler still needs more time, Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo proved to the Mets that they not only can pitch in the major leagues, but also that they can pitch in a pennant race.
And with that, there may no longer be room for Colon on the Mets. With that Colon decided to take a deal with the Atlanta Braves and join former Met R.A. Dickey in the rotation (it is not known if Josh Thole or Jerry Grote will be signed to catch them). Ultimately, that is a good thing. It is a sign the Mets young aces are healthy, and it is a sign that the less experienced pitching is ready to contribute.
Many Mets fans will be disappointed in Colon’s leaving the Mets. It is understandable as he was a fan favorite and good mentor for the young pitchers on the staff. However, Colon was a 44 year old pitcher, and sooner or later, he is bound to have a precipitous fall-off not too dissimilar from what he saw with Moyer. This was the right time to part ways, and in the games he doesn’t face the Mets, we should all wish him luck. We should also hope this rotation is truly healthy and ready to withstand the rigors of the 2016 season without Colon going out and eating up all of those innings.
During his Mets career, there have always been the two Bartolo Colons. There is the loveable oaf that everyone seems to cheer on when he takes the mound, and then there are the statistics that say he has actually been a below average pitcher during his Mets career. However, there was one area where the fascination met reality – Colon’s defense.
The love affair began last year with the nifty behind the back flip in Miami to nail Justin Bour at first base on a little dribbler up the first base line:
It continued into this season with Colon making a number of dazzling plays, but there was none more impressive than Colon’s Willie Mays impersonation:
The play is all the more stunning when you consider that as soon as Little League pitchers are taught to not go anywhere near a pop up. Rather than defer to Neil Walker, and by extension allow the bunt single to happen, Colon ventured back and made a fine play. It was perhaps the best defensive play made by a pitcher this season. Typically, highlight reels plays, as opposed to really good defense, are what gets people nominated for Gold Gloves (just look at Derek Jeter).
The issue with Colon was he was actually more than just pizzazz. In fact, he was the best defensive pitcher all season. His 8 DRS (they do not calculate UZR for pitchers) was the tops in the major leagues. Between the highlight reel plays and his actual defensive numbers, Colon should have won the Gold Glove. As it turns out, he wasn’t even a finalist. It is a shame because Hopefully, Colon will be able to get over the snub by remembering the most improbable moment of the entire 2016 season: