Bartolo Colon hitting is must-see TV.
The New York Mets pitcher continues to be one of the best stories in baseball this season, as he’s been able to win eight of 11 starts despite being 42 years old and despite having a body that looks nothing like a professional athlete.
That latter thing is why it’s so much fun to watch the big guy hit. Every time he comes to the plate there’s a chance that something legitimately hilarious happens. Just seeing Colon at the plate is funny, but it’s taken to a new level when he actually swings. He swung Sunday, and it’s a good thing he did.
In the bottom of the second against the Miami Marlins, Colon ripped a pitch to center field. Marlins center fielder Ichiro Suzuki misplayed the ball and couldn’t get to it in time, allowing the ball to go skidding all the way to the center-field fence. Suzuki, who was playing very shallow, raced after the ball, a clear opportunity for extra bases.
Colon got extra bases, all right, but he was not willing to press his luck. The hefty hurler took his sweet time rounding the bases, Cadillac-ing into second base for the most casual stand-up double of all time. Colon almost certainly could have legged out a triple, but he either didn’t want to and/or didn’t think he could make it happen.
Regardless, hilarity all around.
Colon’s actually been better than you might imagine at the plate this season, at least relatively speaking. With Sunday’s double, he’s now hitting .143 (3-for-21) in 2015 with three RBIs.
Thumbnail photo via Seth Wenig/The Associated Press
