5/21 vs. Kansas City Royals

[Jayhawk Bill]

It takes courage to first perform on any stage. It takes far greater courage to squander one's talent, to fail, and then to return.

 

Bartolo Colon is back.

 

Bartolo Colon is listed at 5' 11", 250 lbs. The height is accurate; the weight is conservative. Bartolo Colon is three days short of his 35th birthday and he is overweight by at least fifty pounds. Despite that, he wants to compete as a professional athlete in an incredibly exacting sport in its most exacting role. He still carries most of the pounds of weight--the fat, the blubber, whatever you will call it--that led to cascading injuries that destroyed his athletic ability. Just three years ago the best pitcher in the American League, in 2006 and 2007 Bartolo Colon became a parody of his former greatness. His decline was tragic to the point of black humor. It was embarassing to fans--it had to be excruciating for Colon himself.

 

But despite the fact that he must not need the money, Bartolo Colon is back. After stuggling to improve over the course of the Dominican Winter League, after being passed over by almost every MLB team before Boston tendered him a high-incentive contract, after some rough innings in Spring Training, after a right oblique injury that sidelined him for a month, and, finally, after posting a 0.64 ERA in three starts for Pawtucket, Bartolo Colon is back.

 

Can he prevail? That we do not know. He has to be injury-prone at his weight; he has not pitched successfully in MLB for three years now, a very long time for a man in his mid-thirties.

 

But tonight a nearly middle-aged man who knows both victory and defeat in MLB will don the uniform of the World Champion Boston Red Sox and take the mound, supported by fellow Dominican superstars Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. It may not be the stuff for victory, but it is the stuff of which baseball legend is made.

 

Game time: 7:05 PM EDT

 

Royals:

 

Brett Tomko

RHP

(2-4) 5.32 ERA

 

Red Sox:

 

Bartolo Colon

RHP

(0-0) no ERA

 

Current weather: fair, 70 degrees, wind 16 mph out to the Green Monster

 

DFWMM :thumbsup:

[Jayhawk Bill]

A couple of points I didn't mention earlier:

 

Brett Tomko has a career 19.06 ERA in Fenway Park (just 5.67 IP).

 

Brett Tomko hasn't beaten an AL team since April 6, his first start of the season.

[BSN07]

A couple of points I didn't mention earlier:

 

Brett Tomko has a career 19.06 ERA in Fenway Park (just 5.67 IP).

 

Brett Tomko hasn't beaten an AL team since April 6, his first start of the season.

 

LOL thats just retched. The winds better be blowing in or he doesn't get passed 5 IP:D

[BoSox21]

Red Sox

 

1. Jacoby Ellsbury RF

2. Dustin Pedroia 2B

3. David Ortiz DH

4. Manny Ramirez LF

5. Mike Lowell 3B

6. Kevin Youkilis 1B

7. Jason Varitek C

8. Coco Crisp CF

9. Julio Lugo SS

 

-- Bartolo Colon SP

 

Royals

 

1. David DeJesus RF

2. Mark Grudzielanek 2B

3. Alex Gordon 3B

4. Jose Guillen LF

5. Mark Teahen 1B

6. Billy Butler DH

7. John Buck C

8. Tony Pena SS

9. Joey Gathright CF

 

-- Brett Tomko SP

[BoSox21]

Drew is sore after fouling that pitch off his knee last night so he gets the day off

 

Brandon Moss begins a rehab assignment in 'Tucket tomorrow after his appendectomy and might stay there for awhile due to a crowded outfield

[BoSox21]

my god thats a rotund fella

[BoSox21]

Jacoby with the leadoff dong, 1-0 Sox

[redsoxrules]

SWEET! leadoff HR 1-0

[jmcc]

Always nice to get on the board early.

[Jayhawk Bill]

my god thats a rotund fella

 

I wonder if scouts discounted him because of his stuff or because of his weight. :dunno:

[Jayhawk Bill]

Colon is relying almost exclusively on a 92-95 mph fastball with a slider mixed in every 5-10 pitches.

 

***

 

Nice leadoff double.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Called strike three was very close--most umpires would've called it a ball. It was outside the regulation strike zone, but maybe inside or at the edge of most umpire's called strike zone.

[BoSox21]

I wonder if scouts discounted him because of his stuff or because of his weight. :dunno:

 

probably a little of both. he seemingly lost his fastball and had/has an inability to stay healthy

[redsoxrules]

49 pitches threw 3, he will most likely throw between 80-90 .

[ORS]

Are they confused? Do they think this guy isn't Bret Tomko? Tomko sucks, time to make that apparent in this game.

[redsoxrules]

I dont mind when we get shut down by a good pitcher , but f***ing tomko?

[das11209]

We almost always get shut down by bad pitchers.

[ORS]

I think you walk Gordon here. He's good, and it sets up the DP.

[redsoxrules]

VTEK! 2-2

[das11209]

Tek hit all 6 home-runs left handed. I don't have stats in front - but I thought he was a better right-handed hitter.

 

Tie game 2-2.

[redsoxrules]

Nice AB coco

[das11209]

Nice AB coco

 

At least Lugo can't hit for double play.

[Cocos Disciples]

Tek hit all 6 home-runs left handed. I don't have stats in front - but I thought he was a better right-handed hitter.

 

Tie game 2-2.

 

From 2005-2007:

as LHB: .255/.348/.431, 33 HR, 131 RBI in 898 AB (27.21 AB/HR)

as RHB: .272/.370/.462, 18 HR, 62 RBI in 372 AB (20.67 AB/HR)

 

So, you were right.

[redsoxrules]

RBI single lugo 3-2 sox

[redsoxrules]

nice piece of hitting so far this inning , lets blow the game wide open right here

[redsoxrules]

sac fly ortiz 4-2

[Jayhawk Bill]

This is a pretty good game.

 

Manny strikes out...5-2, Boston.

[The Prodigy]

whats going on with manny??

[das11209]

I am confused - why is Hansen in the game? What was Colon's pitch count?

 

Thanks

[The Dustball]

Colon only threw 74 pitches. I thought he was going to go 85-90 but i guess he was a little gassed as last time in AAA he only threw 64 pitches in his outing.