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Mets revel in Colon’s first trip around bases
- Updated: May 8, 2016
Bartolo Colon has played 19 big league seasons, pitched in 481 games and started 472 of them. He is the game’s active leader in wins and shutouts, and is second in innings, complete games and strikeouts.
Now, he is tied for 6,195th in history with one home run. Colon’s slice of history occurred in Saturday’s 6-3 win at Petco Park at age 42, making him the oldest player to hit his first ball over the fence. Given his reputation both as a beloved clubhouse figure and a portly whirlwind at the plate, the reactions to Colon’s homer tell the tale as well as any list of facts.
Below is the narrative of Colon’s first career home run, as told through the eyes of those who saw it. It begins in Spring Training, where assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler has worked with Colon the past two years on his hitting:
• Mother of all HRs? Bartolo’s belt epic
Roessler: Oh, he works. He takes pride in it. He works his butt off. Out of his five-day cycle, he probably hits three out of the five days, and probably takes 40 to 50 swings a day. He’s a strong guy. He’s got tremendous hand strength. When he squares it up, it goes. So we’re not surprised he hit a home run. We’re surprised he hit it in a game.
THIS IS REAL LIFE.#BigSexy has homered! https://t.co/0rzraeL0rr
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 8, 2016
THIS IS REAL LIFE.#BigSexy has homered! https://t.co/0rzraeL0rr
Mets manager Terry Collins: This guy last year took [his hitting] serious. He went out and became not just a “go up to home plate, stand there and swing and miss.” As I’ve said before, pitchers, if they can help themselves a little bit, they can win some games.
Third baseman David Wright: You watch him take BP and he’s got very good hand-eye coordination. You see him hit some home runs in BP and you think to yourself, “What would happen if he ever did it in a game?” And to do it here with as many Mets fans as were here, the 7 Line Army was out there, the place just went nuts. It’s one of those things where you come to the ballpark never knowing what you’re going to see, …
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