(Bartolo) Colon Cleansing

When life gives you lemons… You make lemonade. 

When life gives you lemons, sugar, a juicer, plastic cups, and a stand, you say “thank you” and get down to business.  

And then there’s Bartolo Colon.

To put it lightly, ten years ago this former pitching ace and Cy Young winner was once one of the most sought after right-handers in the league.  After a torn rotator cuff, his stature as a starting pitcher began to dwindle dramatically.  Once a powerful 20+ game winner, Colon was no longer the same dominant righty spending most of 2006 on the DL and finishing 2007 going 6-8 with a career low 6.34 ERA.  Needless to say, most teams felt that Colon’s best starts were behind him.  Without a contract, Colon began to sink into semi-retirement obscurity as many former stars before him.  Then the Red Sox threw him a lifeline.  

Possibly in response to Curt Schilling's shoulder injury, Bartolo Colon was signed to a 1-year minor league contract and was soon called up by the Red Sox.  In 7 starts, Colon boosted a 4-2 record with a 3.92 ERA.  Like John Travolta in the mid-90s, Colon was overweight, out of shape, and out of touch with his game, but despite all that, he was back and on the comeback trail.  Unfortunately, like Travolta, Colon became jaded with his recent success story (think Battlefield Earth).  Despite a quick detour on the DL, Colon had the makings of a potential threat to opposing batters.  The downfall came when the Red Sox and Colon disagreed on his role with the team.  After being granted permission to leave to the Dominican Republic for a personal matter, Colon decided to make the stay a little more permanent, despite being neck to neck in the AL East Divisional race.  Taking the Manny Ramirez School of Bridge Burning, Bartolo Colon effectively shut the door on the Boston Red Sox, the one team that gave this former pitching great the clichéd and allusive second chance so many athletes yearn for.

Marsellus Wallace said it best:  "F*ck pride.  Pride only Hurts, it never helps".  Someone should have told Colon that when the Red Sox decided he be best fit for the pen.  One can understand where he comes from.  A former ace now regulated to the bullpen.  While it might not be the ideal assignment for Bartolo, it's a job, and a damn important one.  Currently, the Sox's pen pails in comparison to division rivals, the Tampa Rays.  With Paul Byrd and Tim Wakefield shaky at best as starting pitchers, and Matsuzaka, rarely taking his starts past the fifth inning, there is tremendous pressure for the Sox pen to be ready, willing, and able to provide relief early and often if necessary. 

What does this boil down to? Spoiled athletes.  For every Jason Varitek or Derek Jeter, their will always be a Manny Ramirez or Roger Clemens.  Simply put, placing the individual ahead of the team.  Now you can add Bartolo Colon into the mix.  But unlike the Mannys or the Rogers, this guy no longer puts up the numbers to "justify" such behavior.

Would Bartolo Colon help improve the Red Sox bullpen? We’ll never know.  While most believe that his presence would have no major impact, it’s still the principle of his actions that matter.  The defending World Series Championship team signs a pitcher when no one else believed in him.  How does he show his gratitude? By turning his back on that team.  The Red Sox won without him, I’m sure they can do it again.  But don’t be surprised if we’ve seen the last of Colon in the major leagues.  In Colon’s defense, a starting pitcher can never be effective in the bullpen. 

Just ask Kerry Wood.