Bartolo Colón is turning 47 years old soon, but that’s not stopping the former New York Mets pitcher from playing the sport he loves.
When the New York Mets signed Bartolo Colón prior to the 2014 season, fans didn’t expect much. They saw him put together an All-Star campaign in 2013 with the Oakland A’s, but that performance was mostly considered an outlier. They simply weren’t ready for what he would bring to Queens.
The pure joy he experienced from playing baseball was immense. He passed that down to young pitchers like Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. And of course, nobody could forget his at-bats.
Three full seasons have passed since Colón left, and they haven’t been pretty. But the soon-to-be 47-year-old isn’t ready to give up on the sport he loves. It seems baseball feels the same way, as Colón has signed a contract to play in the Mexican League. Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reported the news on Friday.
Sources: Veteran pitcher Bartolo Colon,46, has agreed to pitch in 2020 for @AcererosOficial, the Mexican League team in Monclova. The club also recently signed former big leaguer Rajai Davis. pic.twitter.com/QuSuqDKqKi
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) February 14, 2020
In a fun twist, he’ll be joined by another former Met in Rajai Davis. Despite the two playing a combined 35 years in the majors, they’ve never been on the same team. This will be a first for the two veterans.
Sadly, the Mexican League doesn’t allow pitchers to hit, having possessed a designated hitter since 1974. Thus, Colón won’t be able to show off his home run swing to the Mexican fans.
Maybe Colón will impress during his stint in Mexico and find his way back to the MLB. With his work ethic and love of the game, anything is possible.
