Bartolo Colón

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name = Bartolo Colon
team = Boston Red Sox
number = 40
position = Starting pitcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1973|5|24
birthplace = city-state|Altamira|Dominican Republic
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 4
debutyear = 1997
debutteam = Cleveland Indians
statyear = 2008
stat1label = Win-Loss
stat1value = 150-97
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 4.09
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 1,569
teams =
*Cleveland Indians (by|1997-by|2002)
*Montreal Expos (by|2002)
*Chicago White Sox (by|2003)
*Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (by|2004-by|2007)
*Boston Red Sox (by|2008-present)
awards =
*Cy Young Award winner (by|2005)
*2x All-Star selection (by|1998, by|2005)
*Led AL in wins in by|2005

Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973 in Altamira, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He won the American League Cy Young Award with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in mlby|2005.

Biography

A prospect from the Dominican Republic, Colón was signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in by|1993 [cite news
author =
title = Colon's bio at mlb.com
url = http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=112526
publisher = mlb.com
date =
accessdate = 2007-03-20] and made his major league debut at the Anaheim Angels on April 4, by|1997, receiving a no decision [cite news
author =
title = 1997 news for Colon at mlb.com
url = http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=112526&y=1997
publisher = mlb.com
date =
accessdate = 2007-03-20] .

Colón grew up in a home without electricity, running water or indoor plumbing in the Dominican Republic. He does major charity work for his old community. [cite web |url=http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=19419865|title=MySpaceTV Videos: Before the Bigs: Bartolo Colon & Russell Martin by FSN PRIME TICKET|accessdate=2008-08-27 |work=MySpace |publisher= |date= ]

Minor Leagues

In by|1995, pitching for Kinston of the Single-A Carolina League, he finished second in wins with 13 and ERA with 1.96, and led the circuit with 152 strikeouts. He was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year, despite shutting down on August 1 with a bruised elbow.

He played Triple-A ball with the Buffalo Bisons in by|1997 and included being the only player in history to throw a no-hitter in Dunn Tire Park.

On May 15, by|2008, Colón threw a one-hitter for the Red Sox' Triple-A team, the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Major Leagues

In his first MLB season in mlby|1997, Colón went 4-7 with a 5.65 ERA. He won his only start of the 1998 American League Championship Series, pitching a four-hit, one-run complete game. In his mlby|1999 season, Colón finished 18-5, pitching over 200 innings with 161 strikeouts and a 3.95 ERA.

In mlby|2000, Colón eclipsed his strikeouts number by 51, ending with 212. He also posted a career-high 98 walks. mlby|2002 was his best season to date, but it came in Cleveland and Montreal. Just prior to the 2002 trade deadline, Colón and Tim Drew were traded to the Montreal Expos in exchange for Lee Stevens, Brandon Phillips, and prospects Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee. Colón finished 2002 with a combined 20-8 record and a 2.93 ERA, including 76 earned runs with 70 walks in 233.1 innings, three shutouts, and eight complete games.

After that season, every team in the league attempted to acquire him, but only a few were willing to bid high enough to obtain him. Before the mlby|2003 season, Colón was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of a three-team deal that also included the New York Yankees. He finished 2003 with a 15-13 record. A free agent after the season, he signed with the Anaheim Angels. Colón won 18 games with Anaheim in mlby|2004. During the 2005 season, he went 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA, and became the first Angels pitcher to win the Cy Young Award since Dean Chance in mlby|1964. [cite news
author =
title = Colon wins American League Cy Young Award
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2217678&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines
publisher = ESPN.com
date = 2005-11-09
accessdate = 2007-01-06] Due to a partially torn rotator cuff that he received in a playoff game against the Yankees in 2005, Colón spent much of the mlby|2006 season on the DL with soreness or inflammation in his right shoulder. In 10 starts, Colón went 1-5 with a 5.11 ERA.

On April 21, mlby|2007, his first start of the 2007 season following his return from the DL, Colon pitched 7 innings, allowing one run on seven hits for his first win in 2007.

On February 25, by|2008 Colón signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox and was invited to spring training. [cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080224&content_id=2388050&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos |title=Sox insure rotation with talented Colon |accessdate=2008-08-27 |work=MLB.com |publisher= |date= ] On May 21, Colón's contract was purchased by the Red Sox, and he was added to the active roster. Colón pitched his first major league game for the Red Sox on May 21, mlby|2008, against the Kansas City Royals. Colón earned his 150th career win on June 11, 2008 against the Baltimore Orioles. [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ipAxZJ2WYfpKxXQzjSZP4NDH15lAD9188A582] Dead link|date=August 2008]

On September 19, 2008, Colón was placed on the suspended list by the Red Sox after leaving for the Dominican Republic to handle "personal matters" and deciding to stay in the Dominican, effectively ending his Red Sox career [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080918&content_id=3504038&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb]

On September 25, 2008, Colón was placed on the restricted list. Not only does this effectively end his career with the Red Sox, it ends his Major League Baseball career, as it means he cannot play until reinstated. [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txredsoxcolon&prov=st&type=lgns]

Colón has pitched 31 complete games, ranking 11th among active players as of June 11, 2008. [cite news
author=
title = active CG list
url = http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/CG_active.shtml
publisher = baseball-reference.com
date =
accessdate = 2007-03-20]

ee also

*List of Cy Young Award winners
*List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
*List of Major League Baseball wins champions

References

External links

*baseballstats |mlb=112526 |espn=3602 |br=c/colonba01 |fangraphs=375 |cube=C/Bartolo-Colon

succession box
title = American League Pitcher of the Month
before = Hideki Irabu
Derek Lowe
Barry Zito
years = June by|1998
May by|2002
August by|2005
after = David Cone
Mark Mulder
José Contrerassuccession box
title = American League Wins Champion
years = 2005
before = Curt Schilling
after = Johan Santana & Chien-Ming Wang
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