Bartolo Colon loses helmet, delivers RBI single for Mets
If your internet is broken, blame Bartolo Colon.
The New York Mets right-hander, who’s become more famous for his entertainingly awkward at-bats than his exemplary pitching skills since moving to the National League on a full-time basis last season, delivered the 13th hit of his 18-year career on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.
But this wasn’t just any hit. It was a Bartolo Colon special, complete with the flying helmet as Colon followed through on his mighty swing.
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The baseball itself traveled about 140 feet in the air as Colon dropped it over the Braves drawn-in infield. Under normal circumstances, it’s an easy catch for the second baseman. Under these circumstances, which saw a runner on third base with one out, it’s a perfectly acceptable RBI hit, which at the time gave the Mets a one-run lead. Colon (2-0) ended up earning the win in a 4-3 victory.
Of course, just about all of Colon’s career has been spent in the American League. He was with the Cleveland Indians for the first five-plus seasons of his career before being traded to the Montreal Expos to finish out the 2002 season. From there, he pitched for the Angels, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Oakland A’s before inking his deal with the Mets last season.
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He entered play on Sunday with just 175 career plate appearances. He was a .075/.080/.081 hitter who likely had more lost helmets — we’ve honestly lost count — than his 12 hits. But hey, he got one of both on Sunday. That’s almost as good as a cycle.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
