Bartolo Colón

The baseball career of Bartolo Colón might be impossible to believe if it wasn’t true. He overcame a humble upbringing in a foreign land, rebounded from a career-threatening injury, and survived scandals and controversies to become an almost mythical cult hero in his final seasons, beloved for his cheerful demeanor and a roly-poly physique that gave him a perceived lack of athleticism.

In his early years, the 5-foot-11 Colón weighed 185 pounds and possessed a fastball that nearly touched 100 mph. By his final years, his weight had ballooned by over 100 pounds – prompting the jocular nickname “Big Sexy” – and his fastball rarely approached 90. Using primarily his fastball, thrown with a variety of speeds, grips and spins, combined with pinpoint control, Colón pitched for 11 teams and compiled a 247-188 record with a 4.12 ERA while striking out 2,535 batters over 21 major-league seasons (1997-2009; 2011-18).1 As of 2025, he ranks first in career wins by a pitcher born in Latin America.

Bartolo Colón Morales was born on May 24, 1973, to Miguel Colón and Adriana Morales in El Copey, Dominican Republic. This hillside village outside of the small mountain town of Altamira had just one paved road. Altamira, with a population of roughly 1,500 scattered throughout the region, is in Puerto Plata province, in the northern part of the country. It is a one-hour bus ride from the nearest big city, Santiago.2

Miguel Colón owned the land his family farmed; he also picked coffee beans and mangoes and chopped sugar cane for others. Even so, Bartolo – the third oldest of six children and the older of two brothers3 – grew up poor. As a young child, his three-bedroom home had no electricity, telephone or plumbing.4

By the age of eight, Colón was helping his father support the family. Leaving at 4:00 a.m., they rode on horseback into the mountains to work 10-hour days in the scorching sun picking coffee beans, cocoa and oranges. He regularly rode his pet donkey Pancho 15 minutes to a river to collect water for the family. “It was hard, but the work had to be done,” he remembered.5 

The work made Colón strong. He developed his legs by climbing trees to pick fruit and his wrists by turning the crank of the machine that removed the pulp from the coffee beans.6 His arm strength and accuracy resulted from throwing rocks to knock coconuts out of trees.7

While carrying bags for his father’s business, Colón sometimes hitched Pancho near a makeshift field and played a few innings with local children. “The only way you would be able to play was to escape from my dad,” Colón recalled. “Because the main thing was working.”8

When Colón was about 13, he met a local girl named Rosanna. Four years later they began dating. They married in 1996 when he was in the minor leagues, and she joined him in the United States. They had four sons together, Bartolo Jr., Emilio, Wilder and Randy.9

In 2014, Colón and Rosanna became United States citizens, but he never forgot his home.10 Throughout his career, Colón helped his family and handed out meals at Christmas, gave scholarships and donated anonymously to others in need.

As a youngster, Colón was among a group of boys arrested for trespassing when they were caught played baseball on a private field.11 To give young players opportunities he never had, he bought the land in 2004 and constructed a baseball stadium and training complex, both of which bear his name. A bronze statue of Colón sits out front. “It isn’t life-size, though; that would have been too expensive,” he joked.12 He also added a small museum which included memorabilia from his career and a mural honoring his donkey, Pancho.13 

Like most boys from the Dominican Republic, Colón dreamed of playing baseball.14 Given the remote location of his home, he did not play organized baseball until he was 14 when he joined a youth league team in the town of Navarrete.15 Originally used at catcher and third base, he got his wish to pitch. In his first outing, he hurled seven scoreless innings and struck out 16 batters.16

By that time, Colón had already quit school. “When I was younger, the school was only 15 minutes away and I could walk,” he said. “By the time I reached sixth grade, the school was an hour away and I had no way of getting there. Besides, I didn’t like school much anyway.”17

Colón was noticed by Cleveland bird dog scout Virgilio Veras, who quickly invited the Indians’ Dominican scout, Winston Llenas, to take a look.18 “He had no mechanics, and his arm was very raw, but I knew right away he was something special,” remembered Llenas. “He had such broad shoulders, and the ball exploded over the plate.”19

After several tryouts, Cleveland signed Colón on June 26, 1993, as a minor league free agent for just $3,000.20 He was 20 years old, but they believed him to be 18.21

Colón began his pro career by overpowering batters with Santiago in the 1993 Dominican Summer League before going to Cleveland’s Instructional League team in Winter Haven, Florida. He had never been away from his family, flown on a plane, driven a car, or eaten American food – and he spoke no English.22 “I was so homesick I didn’t know what to do with myself,” he admitted later. “I saw a lot of guys getting cut that were better than I was. At that point, I thought I would never be good enough to make it to the majors.”23

Colón was naturally shy, so even after learning English he would speak through an interpreter throughout his career for fear of being misunderstood or embarrassing himself.

After a solid 1994 season on Cleveland’s Rookie League team at Burlington, North Carolina, in the Appalachian League, Colón dominated the Class-A Carolina League in Kingston in 1995, compiling a 13-3 record and a 1.96 ERA in 128 2/3 innings while leading the league with 152 strikeouts, despite being shut down in early August with a bruised elbow. He was named the Carolina League pitcher of the year.

Colón began 1996 in the Double-A Eastern League with Canton-Akron and was 2-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 13 games before suffering sprained ligaments in his elbow. He was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo late in the season and used as a reliever in eight games to limit his workload.

With an impressive spring training in 1997, Colón won the fifth spot in the Cleveland rotation over Albie Lopez but started the third game of the season on April 4 when Jack McDowell was slow to recover from a strained abdominal muscle that caused him to miss two exhibition starts.24 He allowed four runs against the Anaheim Angels in the first two innings, including a home run to Gary Disarcina, but left after five innings with the score tied.25

In his second start, Colón threw 61 pitches while recording just two outs. Two days later, he was sent back to Buffalo, beginning a frustrating season-long pattern of being called up after pitching well in Triple-A but then being demoted after not performing for the Indians. He was shuttled back and forth three times by the end of May and five times by the end of the season.26 Colón was 7-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 10 starts with Buffalo but finished 4-7 with a 5.65 ERA with Cleveland.

The turning point came on June 20. Angry at being demoted again, Colón hurled the first nine-inning no-hitter by a Buffalo pitcher since 1952, beating the New Orleans Zephyrs 4-0. In front of a loud home crowd of 15,496, he retired the final 25 batters after walking future major-leaguer Russ Johnson in the first inning.27 He struck out eight; only three balls were hit to his outfielders.

“I was so mad that I was thinking about things I don’t even want to repeat,” said Colón. “Also, Dan O’Dowd [Indians director of baseball operations] was there, and I wanted to show him that I belonged in the big leagues.”28

“You could see the fire in his eyes,” said Brian Graham, the Buffalo manager. “His motive might not have been great, but he found out that day how good he really was. It was a big day in his life.”29

Colón was not included on the 1997 playoff roster as the Indians came within one win of their first World Series title since 1948. He spent the offseason in Cleveland living with Allen Davis, the Indians’ director of community relations, to work on his conditioning and improve his English.

Armed with a new two-seam fastball that he developed under the tutelage of Indians pitching coach Mark Wiley, Colón was the workhorse of the Cleveland staff from 1998 through 2001.30 He compiled a 61-34 record with a 3.91 ERA in 819 1/3 innings.31

In his first start in 1998 he shut out the Angels, allowing four hits and striking out 10. On May 29, facing Roger Clemens, he fanned a career-high 14 batters in a victory at Toronto.32 Colón was an All-Star for the first of four times. Despite giving up a three-run homer to Barry Bonds in his only inning, he was credited with the win when the AL rallied to take the lead in their next at-bat. During the season, Colón began the custom of decorating and numbering each of his game-winning baseballs, a practice that he continued until the end of his career.33

Prior to the 1999 season, the Indians signed Colón to a four-year deal for $9.25 million. On the field, he was 18-5 with a 3.95 ERA, making him the first Cleveland pitcher to reach 18 wins since Greg Swindell in 1988.

In 2000 Colón struck out 212 batters, the most of any season in his career. He followed up with 201 strikeouts in 2001, the only other year in which he topped 200.34 On September 18, 2000, Colón threw the best game of his career – again against Clemens – when he allowed just an eighth-inning single to Luis Polonia and one walk while striking out 13 batters in a complete game at Yankee Stadium.

During this span, Colón helped the Indians win three American League Central titles. In playoff action he was 2-2 with a 3.29 ERA – including eight shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in Game 1 of the 2001 American League Division Series against the 116-win Seattle Mariners – but Cleveland advanced beyond the ALDS just once.

When Cleveland decided to rebuild for the future, the 29-year-old Colón was dealt to the Montreal Expos on June 27, 2002, for veteran Lee Stevens  and minor-leaguers Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Grady Sizemore.35  At the time of the trade, Colón was 10-4 with a 2.55 ERA in 16 starts.

With Montreal, Colón was also 10-4 with an ERA of 3.31, joining Hank Borowy as the only pitcher to win 10 games in each league in one season.36 When Colón’s major-league career ended in 2018, he was the last active player to have played for the Expos.

Colón’s time in Montreal was brief. With the Expos controlled by Major League Baseball and ordered to keep their payroll around $40 million, Colón and his $8.25 million salary were dealt to the Chicago White Sox on January 15, 2003.

In 2003 Colón threw a career-high 242 innings with a 3.87 ERA and tied for the major-league lead with nine complete games, but his record was just 15-13.37 After turning down a three-year offer from the White Sox reported to be in a range of $30-36 million, Colón became a free agent for the first time.38 On December 10, 2003, he signed a four-year, $51 million contract with the Anaheim Angels.39

In the first year with Anaheim, Colón’s ERA was a lofty 5.01, yet he finished 18-12. The Angels made the playoffs but were swept in the ALDS by the Boston Red Sox.

Colón went 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA in 2005 to become the Angels’ first 20-game winner since Nolan Ryan in 1974.40 He was 9-2 with a 3.04 ERA in his final 12 starts, including a 5-0 record with a 1.72 ERA in August. The Angels won the AL West for the second straight year and Colón was voted the AL Cy Young Award winner, the first Angel to win the award since Dean Chance in 1964.41 He gave the trophy to his father in what he called the best moment of his career.42

Colón allowed four runs in seven innings and took the loss in Game One of the 2005 ALDS against the Yankees. He started the deciding Game Five but left the game with a partially torn rotator cuff after walking the first batter in the second inning. The Angels advanced to the ALCS, where they were beaten by the Chicago White Sox.

Battling through his injuries, Colón’s final two years in Los Angeles were dismal. In 2006 he made just 10 starts, finishing 1-5 with a 5.11 ERA in 56 1/3 innings, ending his streak of eight consecutive seasons with double-digit wins.43 The following season, he gutted through 99 1/3 innings, ending 6-8 with a 6.34 ERA in 18 starts and one relief appearance.

Boston gambled that the 34-year-old Colón would provide some insurance for its 2008 rotation, signing him to a $1.2 million minor-league deal.44 He started the season with Triple-A Pawtucket but was called up on May 21 after allowing just one hit in six innings in his previous start. Colón won four of six starts with Boston, including his 150th career win on June 11 against Baltimore, before injuring his back muscle on June 16 while striking out in his second at-bat against the Philadelphia Phillies.45

After rehabbing for almost two months, Colón made one start on September 13 before leaving the team to tend to personal matters in the Dominican Republic. Unhappy with being asked to come out of the bullpen, he refused to return and was placed on the restricted list, ending his stay with the Red Sox.46  He finished 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA in seven starts, the fewest in any season of his career.

In 2009 Colón signed another one-year contract, this one for $1 million with the White Sox. After his spring training was delayed by offseason surgery for bone chips in his elbow, he debuted on April 11 and, in his best outing of the season, hurled six shutout innings in a win against the Minnesota Twins. After a knee injury in early June sent him to the DL, Colón made one more start on July 24 before his elbow problems ended his season with a respectable 4.19 ERA in 62 1/3 innings, but his record was just 3-6 in 12 starts.47

Colón’s career appeared over at age 36. His torn rotator cuff and elbow problems made his arm constantly ache and throwing was painful. As a last resort, he contacted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph R. Purita, who ran the Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopedics in Boca Raton, Florida.

In the spring of 2010 in the Dominican Republic, Purita’s team performed a cutting-edge procedure which Purita called “the future of sports medicine.”48 They harvested fat and healthy cells from Colón’s bone marrow and then re-injected them into his injured elbow and shoulder, hoping that his body would regenerate damaged tissue.49

Major League Baseball did not prohibit the procedure, but banned the use of human growth hormone, which Purita had used in previous successful stem-cell surgeries on other people. Purita claimed that HGH was not used in Colón’s procedure and offered to take a lie detector test as proof.50,51 MLB investigated but took no action.52    

Colón did not play in 2010. After recovering and rehabbing, he returned in 2011, signing a minor-league deal with the Yankees for $900,000. He attended spring training as a non-roster invitee and an impressive spring earned him a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen.

After three relief outings, Colón joined the rotation when Phil Hughes went on the disabled list. He had a 3.30 ERA and an 8-6 mark through July but was winless in his last 10 starts, ending the season 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA in 164 1/3 innings.

When the Yankees decided to go with younger pitchers, the 38-year-old Colón joined the Oakland A’s with a $2 million, one-year contract for 2012. On April 18, he set a major-league record by throwing 38 consecutive strikes in eight shutout innings against the Angels.53 Colón held Cleveland to one run in eight innings on August 18 to improve to 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in his last five starts.

Four days later Colón was suspended by Major League Baseball for 50 games for testing positive for testosterone.54 He missed the final 40 games of the season and Oakland’s five-game loss to Detroit in the ALDS, finishing 2012 with a 10-9 mark and a 3.43 ERA.55

Colón released a statement apologizing to fans, his teammates, and the A’s, but was most concerned about his father’s reaction. “What hurt me the most was having to tell my father about my positive test,” Colón said. “We were raised humbly and honestly, and I was ashamed. It took me a month and a half to build up the courage to tell my father. I couldn’t find the way to tell him.”56

In 2013 Colón re-signed with the A’s – the first time he had played successive years with a team since 2007 – and put together his best season since winning the Cy Young Award. He finished 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA in 30 starts and tied for the major-league lead with three shutouts.57 In five September starts, the 40-year-old Colón was 4-1 with a 1.16 ERA as Oakland repeated as AL West champs. In his only postseason start, Colón allowed three runs in the first inning of Game One of the ALDS in a 3-2 loss to Detroit’s Max Scherzer as the A’s again lost in five games to Detroit.

After spending most of his career in the American League, Colón signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the NL’s New York Mets on December 14, 2013. The legend of Bartolo Colón was ready to take off.

In 2014 Colón was 6-0 with a 1.58 ERA during a seven-game stretch in May and June. On August 8 at Philadelphia he allowed just one run in eight innings to pick up his 200th career win. He finished 15-13 with a 4.09 ERA in 202 1/3 innings.

Colón started strong in 2015, winning six of seven starts, including an outing on May 5 when he beat Baltimore to become the first pitcher to beat a team while pitching for seven different clubs.58 He was 8-3 at the end of May, including a stretch where he set a Mets record of 48 consecutive innings without issuing a walk.59 But he struggled in June and July with a 1-7 record and a 5.29 ERA before recovering late in the season to hurl a career-best 31 consecutive scoreless innings, breaking the record of 27 innings for a pitcher age 42 or older set by Cy Young and Warren Spahn.60 Included in the streak was Colón’s famous behind-the-back flip of a soft roller up along the first base line that retired Miami’s Justin Bour on September 5.61 His nimble fielding despite his bulk was worthy of a Gold Glove, but the honor went instead to Zack Greinke. Colón finished 14-13 with a 4.16 ERA, helping the Mets to their first division title since 2006.

After starting during the regular season, Colón worked out of the bullpen in the playoffs. Following three appearances in New York’s five-game NLDS win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colón picked up a win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in Game Four of their sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS. Against Kansas City in the only World Series of his career, Colón did not allow an earned run over 3 1/3 innings in three games but took the loss in Game One because of an unearned run in the bottom of the 14th inning. The Mets lost in five games.

The Mets re-signed Colón for $7.25 million for 2016 and he turned in his last good season.62 Shouldering a bigger load than expected following season-ending injuries to pitchers Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz, Colón led the Mets in victories for the third straight year with a 15-8 record and a 3.43 ERA.63 In the first inning on May 18, against Washington, an incredible steak ended when he walked Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper; it was the first time since July 18, 2007, that he had walked two batters in a row.64 The Mets made the playoffs again but were shut out by San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner in the NL Wild Card game, ending their season.

Colón was 44-34 with a 3.90 ERA in his three seasons in New York but will be remembered for more than his pitching. He was quickly embraced by Mets fans for his jovial personality and boundless enthusiasm and was beloved by teammates, with whom he clowned around while shagging pregame flies in the outfield; he also mentored them in the clubhouse.

During the 2015 season, teammate Noah Syndergaard began calling Colón “Big Sexy”, a nickname that stuck with fans after Syndergaard shared a Christmas photo on Instagram of his family wearing shirts bearing Colón’s likeness.65 Colón  initially took the name as a jab at his weight but later realized it was meant in fun and embraced the monicker, writing, “I don’t think I’m sexy, but if the fans like the name, I like it, too.”66 In 2016, Colón  applied for a trademark to use the name on athletic apparel but never completed the paperwork.67

A notoriously poor hitter in limited opportunities in the American League, Colón got to bat regularly for the first time since his stretch with the Expos. His at-bats quickly became an Internet sensation, showing him flailing wildly at pitches while twisting himself into the ground, often losing his batting helmet in the process.

So on May 7, 2016, with a career batting average of .089 (20 for 225, including 119 strikeouts), Colón  shocked the baseball world when he homered at Petco Park on a fastball from San Diego’s James Shields, sending the ball over the wall in left.68 Colón had become the oldest player to hit his first career home run, breaking the mark set by Randy Johnson.69

As Mets players went wild in the dugout and Colón started to first base, Mets announcer Gary Cohen belted out a home run call that became an instant classic, “He drives one! Deep left field! Back goes [Melvin] Upton! Back near the wall! It’s outta here! Bartolo has done it! The impossible has happened….. This is one of the greatest moments in baseball history.”70,71

Colón’s trip around the bases took 30.6 seconds, prompting Mets color commentator Ron Darling to quip, “I want to say that was one of the longest home run trots I’ve ever seen. But I think that’s how fast he runs.”72

Colón returned to an empty dugout before his teammates came streaming out from hiding in the tunnel to mob him.73 Asked about the homer after the game, Colón explained. “Anytime I see a fastball, I swing hard because I’m not a curveball hitter. Once I hit it, I knew it was gone.”74

On August 15, Colón added to his big season at the plate by drawing a walk on a full-count pitch against Arizona’s Robbie Ray. It was his first free pass in 292 career plate appearances, the most by any player before his first walk.75

Less than two weeks after his home run, Colón was in the news again when it was revealed that he had a secret family. Alexandra Santos, age 38, claimed Colón had fathered her seven-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son and sued for child support. The court proceedings had begun in 2015 under “Anonymous vs. Anonymous” but came to light when Colon briefly represented himself, which made his name public.76 Rosanna Colón confirmed she had long known of her husband’s second family and the lawsuit but refused to comment on the private matter.77

After Colón skipped the initial court appearance, he and Santos reached an agreement on June 17.78 Both parties were barred from discussing the terms of the agreement.

With the Mets returning a stable of young pitchers for 2017, Colón signed for $12.5 million with the Atlanta Braves.79 At age 44, his age appeared to have caught up with him; he was 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA in 13 starts when he was designated for assignment at the end of June.80 Colón quickly reached a deal with the Minnesota Twins and after a start in Triple-A Rochester, joined their rotation.81 He struggled in his first three outings, but was 4-1 in August, including a complete game. However, Colón went 0-4 in September before winning his final start to finish 5-6 with the Twins for a 7-14 total record with a 6.48 ERA.82

Colón signed a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers for 2018, his record-tying eighth American League team. In his second start, on April 15, he retired the first 21 Houston Astros but settled for no decision.83 On May 16 in Seattle, Colón pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings, but the memorable moment was taking a 101-mph liner to the stomach off the bat of Jean Segura and throwing him out at first base.84 “The important thing is we won the game and I was able to get the out,” Colón said. “He got me on the side. It was not in the middle. And I have a big belly so I can (handle) it.”85

On June 18 at Kansas City, in his fourth attempt at the milestone, Colón picked up his 244th career victory to pass Juan Marichal for most by a pitcher from the Dominican Republic. Against Seattle on August 7, he won his 246th to break the record of Dennis Martinez for most wins by a Latin American pitcher.86 Martinez offered gracious comments, including, “It showed me consistency and perseverance.”87 In his final big-league season, Colón finished 7-12 with a 5.78 ERA.

Colón appeared for the last time in his homeland’s winter league during the 2018-19 season, pitching in (and losing) two games. In 37 games scattered across 12 regular seasons starting in 1993-94, he posted a 9-7 record and 2.77 ERA. His team throughout was the Santiago-based Águilas Cibaeñas, He went to the postseason seven times with Águilas, winning five Dominican championships, and once more as a playoff reinforcement with Leones del Escogido. In 21 games, he went 3-3 with a 4.04 ERA.

Colón hoped to pitch in the majors in 2019 but had no offers.88 He signed instead with the Monclova Acereros of the Mexican League, but the COVID pandemic canceled the 2020 season. A year later, at age 48, he started 11 games for Monclova, posting a 6-2 record, including a complete game, with a 4.55 ERA.

In a September 2023 ceremony at Citi Field, Colón officially retired from major league baseball as a New York Met. “This was the fan base that accepted me the most and supported me the most,” he said. “So that’s why I felt really comfortable [retiring here].”89

Colón was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2024 but received just five votes and his name was dropped from future ballots.90

Colón last played professionally at age 50. On November 23, 2023, he started the inaugural All-Star showcase game to launch Baseball United, a new league founded in the Middle East and Asia.91 He threw a perfect first inning, retiring former major leaguers Robinson Canó, Alejandro De Aza, and Didi Gregorius.92

At the time of his retirement, Colón said he would enjoy working with young pitchers in the future. As of 2025, he wasn’t officially back in pro ball, although he did run a one-day youth baseball camp that year in New Jersey and has visited organizations that serve children with cancer and other blood disorders. 93

Last revised: October 23, 2025

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and David Bilmes and checked for accuracy by members of SABR’s fact-checking team.

Photo credits: Bartolo Colón, Trading Card Database.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author also consulted Baseball-Reference.com and winterballdata.com.

Notes

1 David Schoenfield, “47 Things to Know About Bartolo Colón on His 47th Birthday,” ESPN.com, May 22, 2020, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23575757/47-things-know-bartolo-Colón-47th-birthday (last accessed October 14, 2025).

During his career, Colón had a fastball rate of 81.4% for his career. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23575757/47-things-know-bartolo-Colón-47th-birthday (last accessed October 14, 2025).

2 Mary Kay Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire,” The Clevland Plain Dealer, June 26, 1998, 1-A.

3 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

4 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

5 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

6 Dan Barry, “Defying Time and Space.” New York Times, July 9, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/sports/baseball/mets-bartolo-Colón-defying-time-and-space.html?ref=sports (last accessed October 14, 2025).

7 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

8 Barry, “Defying Time and Space.”

9 Julia Marsh, “Bartolo Colón’s Double Life With Secret Family,” The New York Post, May 18, 2016, https://nypost.com/2016/05/18/bartolo-Colóns-double-life-with-secret-family/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

10 Marsh, “Bartolo Colón’s Double Life With Secret Family.”

11  Fred Kerber, “Going Back to Bartolo Colon’s Humble, Petty Crime Beginnings,” nypost.com, September 20, 20, 2017, https://nypost.com/2017/09/20/going-back-to-bartolo-colons-humble-petty-crime-beginnings/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

12 Fred Hofstetter, “Book Review – Big Sexy: In His Own Words,” screwballtimes.com, May 14, 2020, https://www.screwballtimes.com/reviews/big-sexy-in-his-own-words/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

13 Barry, “Defying Time and Space.”

14 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.” Years later, when Colón’s family finally got a television set, it received just one channel, so he did not see his first major league baseball game on TV until he was in the minor leagues.

15 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

16 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

17 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

18 Levi Weaver, “Nine Thousand Days: Bartolo Colón’s Remarkable Career Forges Ahead,” The Athletic, February 12, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/236917/2018/02/12/nine-thousand-days-bartolo-Colóns-remarkable-career-forges-ahead/ (last accessed October 14, 2025). Llenas appeared in 300 games with the California Angels from 1968 to 1975, batting .230 with three home runs. He would later be inducted into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame.

19 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

20 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”. According to Llenas, it was a common practice for a player to be invited to several tryouts before being signed. Colón did not understand this and cried each time he was sent home, believing he had been let go because he was considered too short.

21 The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011, caused increased attention to immigration, which resulted in the real ages of some Dominican baseball players, including Colón, being made public.

22 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”. Colón had also never seen snow. In 1996 on the way to Cleveland for the Indians’ Winter Development Program, Colón and Dominican teammate Enrique Wilson were forced to sleep in the Newark, New Jersey, airport during a snowstorm. The following day they took a train to Philadelphia and joined up with another Cleveland prospect, David Miller, who supplied them with coats and gloves before the trio drove to Cleveland.

23 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

24 Paul Hoynes, “Colón Joins Rotation,” The Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 1, 1997, 8-D.

25 Disarcina hit just four home runs in 549 at-bats in 1997. Lopez relieved Colón and pitched four scoreless innings as Anaheim beat Cleveland 8-6 in 11 innings.

26 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

27 Matt Monagan, “A Trip Back in Time to the Bartolo Colón No-Hitter You Never Knew About,” MLB.com, June 20, 2018, https://www.mlb.com/cut4/a-trip-back-to-bartolo-Colón-s-first-and-only-no-hitter-c281758064?msockid=39b2a367016f61ff1f21ac9a0067606b (last accessed October 14, 2025). The large crowd was due to a promotion in which Buffalo celebrated its 10-million all-time paid attendance. Colón faced the minimum because Johnson was caught stealing by Einar Díaz for the second out of the game.  Díaz would go on to catch Colón in 85 major league games, more than any other catcher.

28 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

29 Cabot, “Harnessing Colón’s Fire.”

30 Joe Pantorno, “Bartolo Colón Officially Retires With Mets: ‘This Was the Fan Base That Accepted Me the Most’,” September 17, 2023, amny.com, https://www.amny.com/sports/bartolo-Colón-retirement-mets-9-17-23/ (last accessed October 14, 2025). Colón also gave credit to Greg Maddux, who in 1996 encouraged him to throw his two-seam fastball more often.

31 Sheldon Ocker, “Can Someone Count to 139?,” Akron Beacon Journal, June 23, 1998, C5. On June 21, 1998, a miscommunication between Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove and pitching coach Mark Wiley resulted in Colón throwing 139 pitches during his eight shutout innings of the New York Yankees, who entered the game with a 50-17 record.

32 On June 26, 1998, Colón was involved in an epic 20-pitch at-bat against Houston’s Ricky Gutierrez which ended as a strikeout for Colón. At the time, it was the record for most pitches in one at-bat since pitch tracking began in 1988 but was bested by San Francisco’s Brandon Belt in a battle against Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jaime Barria in 2018.

33 An example of his artwork can be seen here. https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/ostler/article/enigmatic-bartolo-Colón-is-essential-to-amazing-4646510.php (last accessed October 14, 2025).

34 Colón was the first Cleveland pitcher with consecutive 200-strikeout seasons since Gaylord Perry (1972 to 1974).

35 Pitcher Tim Drew went to Montreal along with Colón in the trade.

36 In 1945 Borowy was 10-5 with the New York Yankees before he was shipped to the Chicago Cubs where he was 11-2. In 2002 Colón threw four complete games with both Cleveland and Montreal, which was not enough to lead either league but did tie Randy Johnson for the most in the major leagues. He had two complete-game shutouts for Cleveland and one for Montreal. No other pitcher for the Indians or the Expos recorded one. 

37 Colón topped the 200-inning plateau eight times in his career and had more than 190 in three other seasons.

38 Teddy Greenstein, “Colón Deal Hinges Mostly On Money,” Chicago Tribune, October 1, 2003, 4-4.

39 Bill Shaikin, “Colon Joins the Angel Armory,” Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2003, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-dec-09-sp-angels9-story.html (last accessed October 14, 2025). At the time, this was the second largest contract in Angels’ history behind the six-year, $80 million contract given to Mo Vaughn before the 1999 season.

40 Bill Shaikin, “Trying To Tip The Scales,” Los Angeles Times, July 12, 2005, D6. Colón said that he pitched at 268 lbs. in 2005 compared to 255 lbs. in 2004 but that the additional weight was “new muscle”. The Angels believed that the difference in 2005 was more due to him having recovered from the ankle and back soreness that bothered him in 2004. Concerned about his weight and stamina, Colón had hired fellow Dominican Angel Presinal as his personal trainer following the 2003 season. “As a young player, everything is ability,” he said. “You never think you need to work extra hard. Things come a little easier. When you’re young you think you know it all. I was a little stubborn. I learned I need to work harder. I was pretty much desperate. I felt like I was letting so many people down.”

41 In the modern era when voters look at more than wins, the award would likely have gone to Minnesota Twins pitcher Johan Santana. Santana was 16-7 with a 2.87 ERA and led Colón in strikeouts 238 to 157 in nine more innings pitched. While winning the Cy Young Award in 2005, Colón surrendered home runs to the 2005 AL MVP Alex Rodriguez in four consecutive at-bats (three on April 26 and the next on July 21). Rodriguez connected for eight career homers off Colón, more than any other player.

42 Colón was just the second native of the Dominican Republic to win the Cy Young Award, joining three-time winner Pedro Martínez.

43 In 2005, the franchise changed its name for the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 2016 they became simply the Los Angeles Angels.

44 One Red Sox player happy to see Colón on the squad was slugger David Ortiz. In 50 career at-bats against Colón had just seven hits, including one home run, and struck out 16 times – tied for Colón’s most against any opponent.

45 Because this was Colón’s first action in a National League park in 2002, where the designated hitter was not used at the time, this was just his second at-bat of the season.

46 James Simmons, “Boston Red Sox: The Time Bartolo Colón Brought Sexy Back to Beantown,” May 12, 2020, https://calltothepen.com/2020/05/12/boston-red-sox-time-bartolo-Colón-brought-sexy-back-beantown/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

47 Bob Harkins, “Somehow, Bartolo Colon is Missing,” nbcsports.com, July 7, 2009, https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/somehow-bartolo-colon-is-missing (last accessed October 14, 2025). Colón disappeared for a day on the way to rehab in Triple-A Charlotte.

48  Janet Fang, “Yankees Pitcher’s Stem Cell Therapy Didn’t Endow Superhuman Powers,” ZDNET.com, June 10, 2011, https://www.zdnet.com/article/yankees-pitchers-stem-cell-therapy-didnt-endow-superhuman-powers/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

49 Bill Conlin, “Colón’s Recovery After Stem-Cell Surgery a Sign the Future of Sports Medicine Has Arrived,” June 4, 2011, https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/jun/04/Colóns-recovery-after-stem-cell-surgery-a-sign/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

50 Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, “Bartolo Colon Stiffed Doctors On Career-Saving Treatment: Suit,” nypost.com, August 28, 2019, https://nypost.com/2019/08/28/bartolo-colon-stiffed-doctors-on-career-saving-treatment-suit/ (last accessed October 14, 2025). In 2019, two doctors involved in the procedure sued Colón in the Dominican Republic for $4.5 million, 10% of what he earned since the 2010 procedure, claiming non-payment by Colón.

51 “Bartolo Colón, Winner Of The Cy Young, Wins Lawsuit In Case Of Stem Cell Treatment To Which He Was Subjected Before His Return To The Major Leagues,” drlawyer.com, https://drlawyer.com/bartolo-colon-winner-of-the-cy-young-wins-lawsuit-in-case-of-stem-cell-treatment-to-which-he-was-subjected-before-his-return-to-the-major-leagues/ (last accessed October 14, 2025). After losing the initial ruling, Colón the decision was overturned on appeal in Colón’s favor.

52  In August 2013, Major League Baseball 13 penalized players at the conclusion of an investigation of Biogenesis of America, a Florida clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. Because Colón had previously served a 50-game suspension in 2012, he received no further punishment. 

53 Pitch tracking began in 1988. Colón’s streak broke the previous record of 30 consecutive strikes set by knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.

54 Colón’s suspension came one week after San Francisco’s Melky Cabrera, the 2012 All-Star game MVP, received the same suspension.

55 The remainder of the suspension was served at the beginning of the 2013 season. During the offseason, Colón pitched in the Dominican Winter League for the Aguilas Cibaenas and was struck in that mouth by a line drive. He was hospitalized for tests but suffered no injuries.

56  Manny Gómez, “Ex-Mets Pitcher Opens Up About Positive PED Test: I Was Ashamed To Tell My Father,”

 NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 9, 2024, https://www.nj.com/mets/2024/02/ex-mets-pitcher-opens-up-about-positive-ped-test-i-was-ashamed-to-tell-my-father.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhat%20hurt%20me%20the%20most%20was%20having%20to,raised%20humbly%20and%20honestly%2C%20and%20I%20was%20ashamed (last accessed October 14, 2025).

57 Colón tied with Cleveland’s Justin Masterson.

58 Chris Landers, On Bartolo Colón’s 43rd Birthday, Here Are 43 Reasons to Love MLB’s Oldest Player,” May 24, 2016, https://www.mlb.com/cut4/celebrate-bartolo-colon-s-43rd-birthday-c179251924#:~:text=On%20May%2024%2C%201973%2C%20the%20world%20was%20given,hitting%20dingers%20and%20bringing%20joy%20to%20us%20all.?msockid=39b2a367016f61ff1f21ac9a0067606b (last accessed October 14, 2025).

59 Brian Reinhart, “The Most Amazing Bartolo Colón Fact,” The Hardball Times, May 20, 2016, https://tht.fangraphs.com/the-most-amazing-bartolo-colon-fact/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

60 John Donovan, “Elder Blanksman: Colón Sets Scoreless Record,” MLB.com, September 11, 2015, https://www.mlb.com/news/bartolo-Colón-sets-a-scoreless-innings-record/c-148582368 (last accessed October 14, 2025). Colón fell just short of the Mets’ record of 32 2/3 innings set by R. A. Dickey in 2012.

61 Colón claimed to have practiced the behind-the-back flip during pregame warmups. The play can be seen here starting 0:18 into the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfvCKA9RdH4 (last accessed October 14, 2025).

62 Mark Townsend, “Bartolo Colón  Could Earn $50,000 bonus For Silver Slugger award,” Yahhosports.com, December 19, 2015, https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/bartolo-Colón -could-earn–50-000-bonus-for-silver-slugger-award-213044266.html (last accessed October 14, 2025). When Colón signed his contract for the Mets for the 2016 season, it included a $50,000 bonus if he won the Silver Slugger Award.

63 Colón was selected to his final All-Star game but did not appear in the contest.

64 Reinhart, “The Most Amazing Bartolo Colón Fact.”

65 The photo can be seen here. https://x.com/Noahsyndergaard/status/680452635011497985 (last accessed October 14, 2025).

66 Mollie Walker, “Noah Syndergaard Is The One Who Dubbed Bartolo Colon ‘Big Sexy’,” nypost.com, May 8, 2020, https://nypost.com/2020/05/08/bartolo-colon-big-sexy-nickname-noah-syndergaard/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

67 https://www.legalhoop.com/trademark/detail/87006146/BIG-SEXY (last accessed October 14, 2025). In March 2017, the current status of the filing was listed as “Abandoned” because the “applicant failed to respond or filed a late response to an Office action.”

68 Ben Cosman, Bartolo Colon hit a batting-practice home run, and it’s already a legend, MLB.com, March 14, 2016, https://www.mlb.com/cut4/bartolo-colon-hit-a-batting-practice-home-run-c167421424?msockid=39b2a367016f61ff1f21ac9a0067606b (last accessed October 14, 2025). Colón  had provided foreshadowing of the blast when he caused a stir in spring training with a batting-practice home run off Mets hitting coach Kevin Long that knocked a branch from a tree beyond the fence.

69 Colón was 42 years, 349 days old when he homered, Johnson was 40 years, 9 days old at the time of his homer. Colon became the second-oldest Mets player to homer behind Julio Franco who homered on May 4, 2007, when he was 48 years, 254 days old.

70 Posnanski, Joe, Why We Love Baseball (Penguin Random House LLC, 2023), 5.

71 Rachel Cohen, “Call Captures Colon Homer: ‘The Impossible Has Happened!’,” apnews.com, May 8, 2016, https://apnews.com/call-captures-colon-homer-the-impossible-has-happened-96cbffd71511486f92059dea154829ca (last accessed October 14, 2025). Cohen summed up the unexpected magnitude of Colón’s homer in a phone interview the following day saying, “The accumulation of elements here: His age, his weight, his former ineptitude at the plate and his personality all kind of tie together into an incredibly special package.”

72 Posnanski, Why We Love Baseball (Penguin Random House LLC, 2023).

73 The home run can be seen here seen here starting 0:55 into the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfvCKA9RdH4 (last accessed October 14, 2025).

74 Marc Carig, “Bartolo Colón’s Legacy With The Mets: Making It A Joy To Suspend Reality,” The Athletic, September 7, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4871003/2023/09/17/bartolo-colon-mets-retirement/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

75 Colón ended his career batting .084 (25 for 299) with 4 doubles and the one home run and one walk. He scored 11 runs and did not steal a base.

76 Julia Marsh, “Bartolo Colon’s Double Life With Secret Family,” nypost.com, May 18, 2016, https://nypost.com/2016/05/18/bartolo-colons-double-life-with-secret-family/ (last accessed October 14, 2025)..

77 Marsh, “Bartolo Colon’s Double Life With Secret Family.”

78 Emily Saul and Laura Italiano, “Bartolo Colon Signs Support Agreement With Ex-Mistress,” nypost.com, June 17, 2016, https://nypost.com/2016/06/17/bartolo-colon-signs-support-agreement-with-ex-mistress/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

79 Colón’s time with the Braves came in their first year in Truist Park. With other teams, he was 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA in seven games in their previous home Turner Field, a venue that hosted its first game on the same day Colón made his major league debut, April 4, 1997.

80 Tony Fortier-Benson, “Bartolo Colón Ready To Expand List Of Career Feats That Range From Historic To Esoteric,” SportingNews.com, June 12, 2018, https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/bartolo-colon-career-stats-wins-dominican-born-pitcher-juan-marichal-2500-strikeouts-dennis-martinez-latin-america/v8v5k20v1ida1tcl5dl3uapve (last accessed October 14, 2025). On May 9, 2017, Colón surrendered a home run to Houston’s Carlos Beltrán who had previously homered against him on June 30, 2001. The 5,792 days between the home runs was the longest span between home runs by the same hitter against the same pitcher since 1961.

81 Demetrius Bell, “Bartolo Colón Is With The Twins And The Mets Aren’t Happy At All,” SBNation.com, July 9, 2017, https://www.sbnation.com/2017/7/9/15943168/bartolo-Colón-minnesota-twins-new-york-mets-free-agent-minor-league-deal (last accessed October 14, 2025). According to the New York Post, the Mets attempted to bring Bartolo back to New York and were “stunned” when Colón signed with the Twins.

82 Tony Fortier-Benson, “Bartolo Colón Ready To Expand List Of Career Feats That Range From Historic To Esoteric.” The complete game on August 4 at age 44 made Colón the oldest AL pitcher to go the distance since Nolan Ryan did so at age 45 in 1992.

83 Houston’s Justin Verlander was nearly as good as Colón, allowing just a third-inning homer to Robinson Chirinos and one walk in eight innings and striking out 11.

84 In two starts in Seattle’s Kingdome in 1997, Colón was 0-2 and surrendered 10 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. After the Mariners moved in 1999, Colón compiled an incredible 14-1 record with a 1.98 ERA in 113 2/3 innings in 16 career starts in Safeco Field.

85 Associated Press, “Bartolo Colón Credits ‘Big Belly’ As Savior From 101 MPH Liner,” May 16, 2018, https://nypost.com/2018/05/16/bartolo-Colón-credits-big-belly-as-savior-from-100-mph-liner/ (last accessed October 14, 2025).

86 With his first win with Texas on April 28 against Toronto, Colón joined LaTroy Hawkins, Ron Villone and Mike Morgan as pitchers who won a major league game with 11 different clubs. Edwin Jackson would later appear with a record 14 major league teams and win a game with 12 of them.

87 William Wilkerson, “‘El Presidente’ couldn’t be happier for ‘Big Sexy,’” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 18, 2018.

88 In the 2018-2019 Dominican Winter League, Colón started two games lasting just a total of 3 2/3 innings.

89 Pantorno, “Bartolo Colón Officially Retires With Mets: ‘This Was the Fan Base That Accepted Me the Most’.”

90 In 2025 Colón was elected to the Latin Baseball Hall of Fame.

91 Chris Henrique, “Bartolo Colón Returns To The Mound At 50-Years-Old In Baseball United League Debut,” November 23, 2023, https://beyondthemonster.substack.com/p/bartolo-Colón-returns-to-the-mound (last accessed October 14, 2025).

92 Colón pitched three innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out three.

93 ”Bartolo Colon: Youth Baseball Camp.”ProSportsplex.com, https://www.prosportplex.com/bartolocolon/ (last accessed October 16, 2025).