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

[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.

[bosoxnation07]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[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]

Originally Posted by BoSox21

my god thats a rotund fella

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

[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]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk Bill

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

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 .

[One Red Seat]

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