In his only at-bat of the postseason, Christian Colon delivers the Royals’ biggest hit

NEW YORK – When it counted most, the Comeback Kids of Kansas City turned to the guy at the end of the bench who hadn’t come to bat in a major-league game since the final day of the regular season.

Of all the comebacks the Kansas City Royals mustered this postseason, too many at this point even to count anymore, this would be the wildest, the most memorable, the most important and — believe it or not — Christian Colon would be right in the middle of it.

Colon, the 26-year-old backup infielder, hadn’t played a single moment of the postseason until Game 5 of the World Series. On many occasions he’d gone to the batting cage during games, thinking it might be the night the Royals needed him to pinch-hit. It wasn’t.

Finally, Sunday night, with the game tied at two in the 12th inning, Royals manager Ned Yost came to Colon and told him it was time.

“You’re hitting third,” Yost told him. “So get ready.”

(AP)

In the celebratory clubhouse about an hour later, as champagne and beer sprayed all over the place, Colon smiled, but put it bluntly.

“I’ve been ready,” he said. “I didn’t need to get ready. When you’ve studied for a test, you’re ready to go. And I was ready to go. I felt like I could help. Thank God I got the opportunity.”

That’s what Royals fans are saying too. Colon came up with Jarrod Dyson on third base, having pinch run for Salvador Perez after a base hit. Dyson then stole second and advanced to third on an Alex Gordon grounder to first base.

So Colon walked up to the plate to face New York Mets pitcher Addison Reed. Two sliders from Reed, and Colon had two strikes. He laid off a third slider in the dirt, then fouled off a fourth slider.

This is a tough situation to be in, keep that in mind. Colon hadn’t hit in a game since Oct. 4. The batting cage is great, but it’s not the same thing. The tension isn’t the same, the timing isn’t the same.

“I wasn’t thinking about my timing,” Colon said. “I was thinking about, ‘You gotta get it done.’ ”

So when Reed came with a fifth slider, Colon was ready. He lined it into left center. Dyson scored easily. The Royals were ahead.

“Everyone in the dugout was just jumping around,” Gordon said. “We had all the confidence that he was going to do it, even with two strikes. Great hitter, he hadn’t seen an at-bat in so long, but it’s just one guy stepping up after another.”

When Colon got on first base, he pounded his chest and looked back at the Royals’ dugout. First base coach Rusty Kuntz yelled, “Atta boy! Hell yeah!” while the Royals crept out of the dugout to celebrate. “Let’s go!” Colon yelled back at them.

And go they did. The Royals would pile on four more runs in the inning and win 7-2. They’d hoist the World Series trophy, take team pictures on the field, celebrate with their friends and family members. They’d done it. Finally. After 30 years, they were champions again.

“He’s a winner,” Yost said about Colon after the game. “You put him in a situation, and he’s going to give you everything that he’s got. And for him to come through tonight and get the big hit was just — it was special.”

This moment was indicative of the entire team. They bide their time. They find their moment. And when it comes, they make the most of it. The 2015 Royals did all it postseason. It’s what made them champions.

When Christian Colon finally got his chance, he didn’t watch it go by.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz

Sharing is caring! Share this FreeWinningPicks post with your friends!