NEW YORK _ Bartolo Colon's reception at Citi Field was never in doubt, but just in case anyone needed to be reminded of the Big Sexy's legacy, it was waiting for him as he stepped to the plate in the third inning. The crowd gave Colon the full rock-star treatment _ extended standing ovation, forcing a momentary pause in the action.
Larger than life and slightly larger than his uniform, Colon stood in the batter's box absorbing the love. No matter that Jacob deGrom took his former teammate apart in four pitches and sent him straight back to the dugout. It would take more than just a strikeout for Mets fans to break up with Colon. To the contrary: The punch-out somehow made the chunky right-hander even more loveable. Colon was cheered once more, proving how good life can be when you're the coolest guy in baseball.
Colon's homecoming was especially poignant on Wednesday, and not just because he reminded us (again) that brains trump brawn from 60 feet, six inches. The narrative runs deeper than that, now that the Mets' rotation feels like it's going down in flames.
Colon's indestructibility stands in sharp contrast to two younger, more fragile Mets: Steven Matz, who's on the DL until May, and Seth Lugo, who is out indefinitely while waiting for a PRP injection to take effect on a partially torn UCL.
Both injuries are more serious than the Mets feared. What Matz initially thought was mild irritation in his left elbow, has been diagnosed as a strained flexor tendon. And Lugo might need surgery if the PRP therapy fails. At best, he'll pitch the rest of the season knowing the ligament could rupture at any time.
The Mets insist they're not panicking, because as GM Sandy Alderson said before the game, "We still have great pitching." But the club is looking for a veteran starter who can be stashed at Class AAA, just in case someone else gets hurt, too. This is no overreaction, not when you consider Zack Wheeler hasn't been on a mound in two years and Robert Gsellman has never pitched a full year in the majors. And Matt Harvey officially begins his journey back from thoracic outlet syndrome tonight.
Given the uncertainty, the Mets would've happily let Colon rescue them as he did so many times in the last three years. That's the easiest solution, one that prompts a knee-jerk question: Why didn't the Mets offer Colon a contract this winter?
The answer is both succinct and simple: neither side wanted this marriage to continue. The Mets were preparing to add Harvey and Wheeler to the 2017 rotation, and were sufficiently impressed with Gsellman and Lugo as their backups.
Colon, no dummy, realized there was no room for him at Citi Field, and instead listened to the Braves' more urgent sales pitch. GM John Coppolella offered Colon $12.5 million for one year _ a deal so lopsided in the veteran's favor he immediately said yes and never looked back.
"It was business," Colon said during spring training. "I had to do what was best for my family." He's also looking to bolster his career win-total. Colon's 233 victories is second all-time among Dominican-born pitchers behind only Hall of Famer Juan Marichal's 243. The only Latin American ahead of them is Nicaragua's Dennis Martinez, at 245.
Colon nearly inched closer Wednesday night, allowing one run in six innings, matching deGrom in a no-decision. The right-hander was smart and composed as he sequenced his pitches perfectly _ just as he'd done over the last three years in Flushing. Anyone who thought the Mets would have some kind of advantage against Colon, familiar as they were with his arsenal, learned the hard way the playing behind Big Sexy is infinitely easier than trying to hit against him.
As Terry Collins said before the game, "Bart is a master at using the strike zone. If you stay disciplined at the plate, you might get something to hit. But if you go up there trying to out-think him, he's going to get you out."
The manager spent time in the video room on Wednesday, looking for clues that might've been of use to the Mets. No chance. Colon feathered both sides of the plate with that crazy two-seamer, and, most remarkably, ramped it up to 94-mph when he needed the extra muscle.
Colon made only two mistakes in all: a harmless, bases-empty single that Yoenis Cespedes ripped to center field in the fourth, and a lead-off home run to Jay Bruce. That was actually less Colon's fault that Bruce's renewed confidence in his swing, a secondary story that could be a difference-maker in Flushing this summer.
But it was hard to see Colon chew up those innings without feeling the same way about him. He, too, could've been exactly what the Mets needed. Too bad it was never going to happen. The Mets have moved on and, truth is, so has Colon. He's got a better deal and a team that needs him. But that doesn't mean Big Sexy isn't still adored in these parts. That'll never change.
